Length: Two (2) double spaced typewritten pages
Topic: A detail from Herodotus Book 2 (Herodotus, The Histories, [tr. R. Waterfield]), Oxford: OUP, 1998, pp. 95-168).
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Read Book 2 of the Histories of Herodotus. Select a detail that you consider to be of the LEAST interest and/or significance to the overall design and intention of Book 2 and carefully explain the reasons for your choice. A detail can be a person, god, animal, plant, human activity, physical phenomenon or specific event.
The purpose of this assignment is to critically analyze the text in order to discover the underlying argument or thesis through attention to a detail that does not appear to support it.
Value of grade: 10%
GUIDE FOR ESSAY 2
1. Title:
Have you included your name at the head of the first page of your essay?
Have you formulated a title for your essay that clearly relates to the main topic of your paper?
2 Introduction:
Does your first paragraph begin with a clear statement about the position which you have taken in your essay?
Do the remaining sentences in your first paragraph let the reader know what to expect in the rest of your essay?
Do these sentences let the reader know how you have argued your position in the rest of your essay?
3. Exposition:
Does each of your subsequent paragraphs focus clearly on a topic mentioned in your introduction?
Does each sentence in this paragraph focus on the topic of the paragraph?
Are the sentences in each paragraph made to relate to each other or are they merely a series of unrelated observations?
Is each sentence a complete sentence?
4. Conclusion:
Does your conclusion follow from the evidence on which you based your exposition?
Is it what you advertised in your introduction?
5. Syntax and style:
Are you certain that you have noticed the difference between singulars and plurals?
Are most of your verbs active?
Have you used your dictionary, even for looking up ordinary words?
6. Special reminder:
This essay is about Herodotus’ description of Egypt; don’t try to focus on the “real” Egypt.
Please make sure that you use 12pt. type throughout your essay.
