Standing in front of my students while wearing a Halloween costume chiton, I was nervous about what kind of speeches they were going to present on the issue of pardoning the supporters of the Thirty Tyrants. I had checked in on both classes the night before, and for my 8AM class, only two out of four people had posted in the required discussion board their planned speeches. The 9:30AM class had three out of four people.
Overall, I would say that the students succeeded, but that I’m still getting my bearings with the game. The bad news: both games concluded after 45 minutes. What’s frustrating about this is that in my ideal world, most of classes would be 55 minutes long. Alas, the American university system, in order to accommodate overscheduled instructors and students, has for the most part shifted to the two day a week class. This means that all my classes are an hour and fifteen minutes. I find this amount of time frustrating as I always leave exhausted, but the unit is really too short to justify a break. Next week I'll have some in class writing based on the assigned reading prepared in case we go short again.
What was interesting was how different the two classes were. The students in the 8AM class gave shorter major speeches, but very much got into the back and forth of debating proposed legislation. IN contrast, the students in the 9:30 class were hesitant to speak outside of their major speeches. Perhaps the thoroughness of the speakers intimidated the others. I did remind them that they are risking votes if they do not speak, but that did not sway them. We’ll see how much they like voting at a disadvantage on Monday; hopefully it will goad them to speak up during class.
Below are short summaries of either class:
8AM: Anytus, Periclean Democrat, proposes a modified amnesty law for the supporters of the 30 tyrants: they are immune to prosecution based on their past loyalties, but neither can they serve as leaders in the democracy. Despite being watered down, this proposal met fierce opposition from Lycon, Follower of Thrasybulus, a student who had been quiet the whole semester but has really taken to the role of democratic leader eager to avenge his son. Lycon and Aristocles get into a back and forth, with Aristocles, Follower of Socrates, who took exception to Lycon’s extensive pleading based on his own life’s history. Ultimately, Anytus’ proposal prevails.
I slip the Followers of Thrasbulus a note suggesting that they propose a law sponsoring the construction of a statue honoring the heroes who overthrew the Thirty Tyrants. The Followers of Socrates raise some objections about the cost, but the proposal passes overwhelming.
At the beginning of the class, the Herald Thucydides had drawn the chance encounter of “doubling the taxes on metics”. Aristocles, leaning into his role as the heel, speaks in favor of this proposal, saying that Athens can use it to pay for the new statue. While Thrasybulus speaks in favor, leaving unmentioned how the statue would almost certainly include him, I pass a note to the Socratics asking to justify this tax with Socratic ideals. Simon and Crito step refuse to support Aristocles. The tax fails, but with the Game Master’s 1,500 votes in favor, it was quite close.
We have a short debrief and the response was overwhelming positive: Thrasybulus confesses he didn’t think it was going to be this much fun and Lycon wonders why we haven’t been learning like this the whole semester.
9:30 In his major speech, this Anytus also mentions a sort of compromise: letting any or all supporters of the thirty who have fled to Eleusis live in peace there, but forbidding their return. However, he doesn’t turn this idea into legislation. Instead, it is Lithicles, Assembly President for the day, who first proposes a bill offering blanket amnesty to followers of the thirty tyrants for their past support. The followers of Thrasybulus oppose this idea heartily, but make no inroads with any of the factions and -somewhat surprisingly given Thrasybulus’ dedication to the game (she came to class with a First Aid kit to dress as a wounded veteran) – they make no inroads with any of the Indeterminates either. Amnesty passes.
Liking the idea from the previous class, I pass a note to the followers of Thrasybulus about banning supporters of the 30 from leadership and sponsoring the construction of a statue honoring their overthrow. Thrasybulus and Meletus make convincing cases for both, leading to the Socratics and the Solonian Aristocrats voting in favor. I tried to get Xenophon to oppose the leadership ban by passing her a note, but Lithicles moved too quickly before should speak.
Lithicles did not enjoy being Assembly President and was happy to end the session after Gorgias got up to pitch services in rhetorical excellence.
In the debrief, there is much less enthusiasm than in the previous class. But then again, this class is overall quieter than the 8AM.
Overall, I would say that the students succeeded, but that I’m still getting my bearings with the game. The bad news: both games concluded after 45 minutes. What’s frustrating about this is that in my ideal world, most of classes would be 55 minutes long. Alas, the American university system, in order to accommodate overscheduled instructors and students, has for the most part shifted to the two day a week class. This means that all my classes are an hour and fifteen minutes. I find this amount of time frustrating as I always leave exhausted, but the unit is really too short to justify a break. Next week I'll have some in class writing based on the assigned reading prepared in case we go short again.
What was interesting was how different the two classes were. The students in the 8AM class gave shorter major speeches, but very much got into the back and forth of debating proposed legislation. IN contrast, the students in the 9:30 class were hesitant to speak outside of their major speeches. Perhaps the thoroughness of the speakers intimidated the others. I did remind them that they are risking votes if they do not speak, but that did not sway them. We’ll see how much they like voting at a disadvantage on Monday; hopefully it will goad them to speak up during class.
Below are short summaries of either class:
8AM: Anytus, Periclean Democrat, proposes a modified amnesty law for the supporters of the 30 tyrants: they are immune to prosecution based on their past loyalties, but neither can they serve as leaders in the democracy. Despite being watered down, this proposal met fierce opposition from Lycon, Follower of Thrasybulus, a student who had been quiet the whole semester but has really taken to the role of democratic leader eager to avenge his son. Lycon and Aristocles get into a back and forth, with Aristocles, Follower of Socrates, who took exception to Lycon’s extensive pleading based on his own life’s history. Ultimately, Anytus’ proposal prevails.
I slip the Followers of Thrasbulus a note suggesting that they propose a law sponsoring the construction of a statue honoring the heroes who overthrew the Thirty Tyrants. The Followers of Socrates raise some objections about the cost, but the proposal passes overwhelming.
At the beginning of the class, the Herald Thucydides had drawn the chance encounter of “doubling the taxes on metics”. Aristocles, leaning into his role as the heel, speaks in favor of this proposal, saying that Athens can use it to pay for the new statue. While Thrasybulus speaks in favor, leaving unmentioned how the statue would almost certainly include him, I pass a note to the Socratics asking to justify this tax with Socratic ideals. Simon and Crito step refuse to support Aristocles. The tax fails, but with the Game Master’s 1,500 votes in favor, it was quite close.
We have a short debrief and the response was overwhelming positive: Thrasybulus confesses he didn’t think it was going to be this much fun and Lycon wonders why we haven’t been learning like this the whole semester.
9:30 In his major speech, this Anytus also mentions a sort of compromise: letting any or all supporters of the thirty who have fled to Eleusis live in peace there, but forbidding their return. However, he doesn’t turn this idea into legislation. Instead, it is Lithicles, Assembly President for the day, who first proposes a bill offering blanket amnesty to followers of the thirty tyrants for their past support. The followers of Thrasybulus oppose this idea heartily, but make no inroads with any of the factions and -somewhat surprisingly given Thrasybulus’ dedication to the game (she came to class with a First Aid kit to dress as a wounded veteran) – they make no inroads with any of the Indeterminates either. Amnesty passes.
Liking the idea from the previous class, I pass a note to the followers of Thrasybulus about banning supporters of the 30 from leadership and sponsoring the construction of a statue honoring their overthrow. Thrasybulus and Meletus make convincing cases for both, leading to the Socratics and the Solonian Aristocrats voting in favor. I tried to get Xenophon to oppose the leadership ban by passing her a note, but Lithicles moved too quickly before should speak.
Lithicles did not enjoy being Assembly President and was happy to end the session after Gorgias got up to pitch services in rhetorical excellence.
In the debrief, there is much less enthusiasm than in the previous class. But then again, this class is overall quieter than the 8AM.