Victoria Stewart
EUH 3412
November 12, 2015
Source Investigation Worksheet
Plutarch’s The Spartacus Slave War
1. The Basics
Identify the following information for the source:
1. Source Type a. Is this a history, biography, drama, love poem, graffiti, gravestone? i. This is a history of the Spartacus War, or the Third Slave War. It is also a biography on the Roman and Greek Generals from his work Parallel Lives.
2. Chronology a. What are the dates of events described (earliest, latest, majority)? i. 73 BC to 71 BC, starting with the revolt of the gladiator slaves, led by Spartacus, and ending at the triumph for Pompey. b. When was the source written relative to the events which it describes? i.Written about 100 years after …show more content…
Their sources were not stated but upon further research, Sallust and Otho are seen as great contributors to where he found is information. c. How reliable does the author’s use of sources seem to be?
7. Author’s Biases a. Does the author seem to excessively stress anything? i. With each key player he describes, no matter if they are Roman or Greek he describes them in terms of their strength and character. What is so fascinating about this source happens to be his lack of bias. He seems to judge each person individually based on his moral and physical character rather than judging them for being either Roman or Greek, like so many others of his time. b. Are there significant silences? i. There are no significant silences. c. What prejudices shape the account? i. He is only comparing the greatness of Greek and Roman men, and does not bother to mention any achievements of women, so he is potentially gender-biased. His Greek origin and Roman citizenship put him in a unique situation in which he has a mutual respect for both. Because of Plutarch being born in Greece and remaining in Greece despite his Roman citizenship suggests his pride for his home country is stronger but it doesn’t that pride doesn’t overshadow his writing of historical people and …show more content…
Argument Critique
Now you play devil’s advocate with yourself. What counter-argument could one pose to your argument? What limitations might they point out and how might they support an opposing stance?
Now, the fact that although he attained Roman citizenship but stayed in his Greece and even held office during his time there in local government could suggest that his loyalties in the end are with Greece. He not only was mayor of his hometown and held other positions of government but was a senior priest in Delphi who interpreted auguries from the Pythia. Someone who held such important roles in Greek society might hold the culture of Greece above all, even if there was a respect for the Roman society and ideals of a model citizen.
5. Counter-Argument
How can you change your argument or your approach to using your source in order to account for these critiques? Justify your answer with specific information from the text and how you might potentially use other sources to confront these
EUH 3412
November 12, 2015
Source Investigation Worksheet
Plutarch’s The Spartacus Slave War
1. The Basics
Identify the following information for the source:
1. Source Type a. Is this a history, biography, drama, love poem, graffiti, gravestone? i. This is a history of the Spartacus War, or the Third Slave War. It is also a biography on the Roman and Greek Generals from his work Parallel Lives.
2. Chronology a. What are the dates of events described (earliest, latest, majority)? i. 73 BC to 71 BC, starting with the revolt of the gladiator slaves, led by Spartacus, and ending at the triumph for Pompey. b. When was the source written relative to the events which it describes? i.Written about 100 years after …show more content…
Their sources were not stated but upon further research, Sallust and Otho are seen as great contributors to where he found is information. c. How reliable does the author’s use of sources seem to be?
7. Author’s Biases a. Does the author seem to excessively stress anything? i. With each key player he describes, no matter if they are Roman or Greek he describes them in terms of their strength and character. What is so fascinating about this source happens to be his lack of bias. He seems to judge each person individually based on his moral and physical character rather than judging them for being either Roman or Greek, like so many others of his time. b. Are there significant silences? i. There are no significant silences. c. What prejudices shape the account? i. He is only comparing the greatness of Greek and Roman men, and does not bother to mention any achievements of women, so he is potentially gender-biased. His Greek origin and Roman citizenship put him in a unique situation in which he has a mutual respect for both. Because of Plutarch being born in Greece and remaining in Greece despite his Roman citizenship suggests his pride for his home country is stronger but it doesn’t that pride doesn’t overshadow his writing of historical people and …show more content…
Argument Critique
Now you play devil’s advocate with yourself. What counter-argument could one pose to your argument? What limitations might they point out and how might they support an opposing stance?
Now, the fact that although he attained Roman citizenship but stayed in his Greece and even held office during his time there in local government could suggest that his loyalties in the end are with Greece. He not only was mayor of his hometown and held other positions of government but was a senior priest in Delphi who interpreted auguries from the Pythia. Someone who held such important roles in Greek society might hold the culture of Greece above all, even if there was a respect for the Roman society and ideals of a model citizen.
5. Counter-Argument
How can you change your argument or your approach to using your source in order to account for these critiques? Justify your answer with specific information from the text and how you might potentially use other sources to confront these