use Ryken’s way to explain how truth is found in both imaginative and historical works.

History of Ideas II

ESSAY ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS & GRADING RUBRIC

3. Essay Instructions, Rubric.docx Page 1 of 2 rev. 12/29/2021

Format: Write a 5-page paper (dbl-spaced, Times New Roman 12-pt font, 1-in. margins) with

5 headings as described below. Cover 3 themes using 6 different readings for this class to

illustrate the 3 themes in the following way: an “Introduction” that defines the two types of

literature Ryken defines in Realms of Gold from Week 1, followed by 3 headings, each with a

different theme and illustrated by at least one reading from each type of literature: Imaginative

(i.e., fiction) and Historical (i.e., non-fiction). Your RR Themes, Connections, and Quotations

should provide the basic content for these three headings of the Essay between the Introduction

and Conclusion, but be sure to use descriptive headings, as in the “Putting It Together” section

below. Your “Conclusion” then summarizes your findings. Again, your basic format is this:

1. Introduction (refer to Ryken’s discussion about truth in imaginative vs. historical works)

2. Theme 1 with 2 illustrations (reword this heading to indicate your 1st theme)

3. Theme 2 with 2 illustrations (reword this heading to indicate your 2nd theme)

4. Theme 3 with 2 illustrations (reword this heading to indicate your 3rd theme)

5. Conclusion (summarize the value in reading classical texts with a biblical perspective for it)

Choosing Themes for Headings 2–4: Use themes from your RRs, or choose others, just be sure

each theme can be illustrated using readings from each type of literature, imaginative and

historical. If you can’t decide, use p. 9 of the HOI-2 Reader for examples, and here more:

• The good or bad qualities in a

human or divine characters

• Divine actions in the world

• Fate/Destiny/Determinism

• Age/Gender/Race

• Friendship/Sex/Love/Family

• Virtues a culture esteems

• Vices a culture condemns

• Leadership/Heroism

• Political structures/Govts

• Religious acts/structures

• Animals/Foods/War tactics

Two Types of Literature: Imaginative & Historical: Each theme must be illustrated by

examples and quotes from the readings, one from each type of literature, imaginative & historical.

Use different readings each time—for example, do not refer to The Iliad twice, only once.

Imaginative/Fictional

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Homer, The Iliad or The Odyssey

Aeschylus, Agamemnon

———, Libation Bearers

———, The Eumenides

The Bhagavad Gita

Virgil, The Aeneid

Historical/Non-fiction

Herodotus, Histories

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Plutarch, Lycurgus

———, Solon

———, Julius Caesar

———, Cato the Younger

Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War

A total of 7 assigned readings must be referenced in the Essay: Ryken + 3 Imaginative + 3 Historical

Putting It Together: In your Introduction, use Ryken’s way to explain how truth is found in both

imaginative and historical works. In your headings for 3 different themes, explain how each type

of literature reveals truth about it. For example, your first heading could be something like this:

Pride in Agamemnon and Histories and you describe how King Agamemnon in Aeschylus’s play

compares to King Croesus in Herodotus’s Histories, using quotes to support your comments. This

is not a research paper, so no footnotes are required, but simply place text locations in parentheses

like this (Homer, Iliad 1:23). A second heading might be Weather in Homer’s Odyssey and Sun

Tzu’s Art of War, or another might address leadership, friendship, family, etc., using texts like

Gilgamesh compared to one of Plutarch’s Lives.