Annapolis Freshman Seminar Readings

Fall Semester 2023

This list may be subject to change. Please always check with tutors or cross-reference with the paper reading list distributed by the dean’s office.

Freshman Seminar Readings for Fall 2023
Date Reading
August 24 Homer: Iliad, I–VI
August 28 Homer: Iliad, VII–XII
August 31 Homer: Iliad, XIII–XVIII
September 4 Homer: Iliad, XIX–XXIV
September 7 Homer: Odyssey, I–VIII
September 11 Homer: Odyssey, IX–XVI
September 14 Homer: Odyssey, XVII–XXIV
September 18 Plato: Meno
September 21 Aeschylus: Agamemnon
September 25 Aeschylus: Libation Bearers; Eumenides
September 28 Plato: Gorgias, 447A–481B
October 2 Plato: Gorgias, 481B–to end
October 5 Plutarch: Lives, Lycurgus; Solon
October 9 Herodotus: History, I; II 50–53, 112–120; III 37–38, 66-87
October 12 Herodotus: History, V, 105; VI, 48–120; VII (entire)
October 16 Herodotus: History, VIII; IX
October 19 Plato: Republic, I–II 367E
October 23 Plato: Republic, II 367E–IV 427C
October 26 Plato: Republic, IV 427D–VI 502C
October 30 Plato: Republic, VI 502D–VII
November 2 Plato: Republic, VIII–IX
November 6 Plato: Republic, X
November 9 Aristophanes: Clouds
November 13 Plato: Apology and Crito
November 16 Plato: Phaedo, 57A–84B
November 20 Plato: Phaedo, 84B–118B
November 27 Sophocles: Oedipus Tyrannus
November 30 Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus
December 4 Sophocles: Antigone
December 7 Euripides: Medea
December 11 Plato: Symposium, Beginning–198A
December 14
(Thursday)		 Plato: Symposium, 198–end

Spring Semester 2024

This list may be subject to change. Please always check with tutors or cross-reference with the paper reading list distributed by the dean’s office.

FRESHMAN SEMINAR READINGS FOR SPRING 2024
DATE READING
January 8 Thucydides: Peloponnesian War, I; II, 1–54
January 11 Thucydides: Peloponnesian War, II, 55–78; III, 1–87; IV, 1–74
January 15 Thucydides: Peloponnesian War, IV, 75–end; V, 1–26, 84–116; VI (complete)
January 18 Thucydides: Peloponnesian War, VII; VIII, 1–6, 45–end
January 22 Plato: Parmenides, beginning–148D, 166C
January 25 Plato: Theaetetus, beginning–186
January 29 Plato: Theaetetus, 187–end
February 1 Plato: Sophist, beginning–242B
February 5 Plato: Sophist, 242C–end
February 8 Plato: Timaeus, beginning–57
February 12 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
February 15 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books II, III
February 19 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books IV, V
February 22 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books VI, VII
February 26 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books VIII, IX
February 29 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Book X
March 18 Aristotle: Politics
I: 1–7 (1252a1–1255b40), 12–13 (1259a37–1260b25)
III: 1–11 (1274b30–1282b13)

All Aristotle assignments are listed both by book and chapter divisions and by marginal numbers. The marginal line numbers are the same in all editions when they are used. The book divisions are fairly standard, but some editions vary the chapters. When in doubt, follow the marginal line numbers, which should serve as a reliable guide.
March 21 Aristotle: Politics (selections)

Note the Simpson translation arranges Books 4–8 differently than other translations, including the Lord translation. Pay close attention to the marginal line numbers.
  • 1282b14–1288b6 (III 12–18)
  • 1288b10–1297a13 (Lord and most others IV 1–12; Simpson VI 1–12)
  • 1323a14–1326b26 (Lord and most others VII 1–4; Simpson IV 1–4)
  • 1327b18–1328a21 (Lord and most others VII 7; Simpson IV 7)
March 25 Sophocles: Philoctetes
March 28 Euripides: The Bacchae
April 1 Aristotle: Poetics, Chapters 1–19 (1447a10-1456b19)
April 4 Aristotle: Physics
I (A): 1 (184a10–184b16)
II (B): (192b8–200b11)
April 8 Aristotle: Physics
III (Γ): 1–3 (200b12–202b29)
IV (Δ): 10–14 (217b30–224a16)
April 11 Aristotle: Physics
III (Γ): 4–6 (202b30–207a32)
IV (Δ): 1–2 (208a28–210a13), 4–5 (210b33–213a12), 8 (214b12–216b21)
April 15 Aristotle: Physics
VIII (θ): 1 (250b11–252b6), 4–7 (254b7–261b26), 9–10 (265a13–267b26)
April 18 Aristotle: Metaphysics
I (Α): 1–7 (980a21–988b22)
II (α): (993a30–995a20)
April 22 Aristotle: Metaphysics
IV (Γ): 1–4 (1003a21–1009a5)
VII (Ζ): 1–3 (1028a10–1029b12), 17 (1041a6–b33)
April 25 Aristotle: Metaphysics
IX (Θ): 6 (1048a25–b36), 8 (1049b4–1051a3)
XII (Λ): 1 (1069a18–b7), 6–10 (1071b3–1076a4)
April 29 Aristotle: On the Soul
I, 1
II, 1–7, 11–12
May 2 Aristotle: On the Soul, III, 1–13
May 6 Plato: Phaedrus, beginning–257
May 9 Plato: Phaedrus, 257–end
End of spring semester