Topic

Using only the materials available from the course, write an essay discussing the variety of sources that shed light on the administration and political history of the later periods (Neo-Babylonian/Persian periods, Chapters 14-16).  What sources are available to address this topic (historical, archaeological, art historical etc)? What are the limitations or biases of the sources?  How do the availability of Babylonian or Persian sources shed light on the biases of Greek historians like Herodotus (e.g. p. 293 in Van De Mieroop)? Be sure to reference and discuss at least 3 primary sources in your discussion.  You might also look at Herodotus' Histories here: http://www.livius.org/articles/person/herodotus/herodotus-histories/ Links to an external site.

Length

There are no minimum or maximum length requirements but you must thoroughly address the assignment, which can typically be done in 2500 to 3500 words.  Write for a purpose-- irrelevant or inefficient writing (aka "fluff") will be detrimental to your grade on this assignment.

Required Formatting and Citation

You must cite all information (facts about Persia, facts about Babylonian sources, quotes etc.) and format your essay appropriately using the Chicago Manual of Style Links to an external site.. Here is an example paper Links to an external site. that shows correct formatting. If you are doing the assignment correctly, most sentences will include a citation (with page number). I have a slight preference for author-date style Links to an external site..  Failure to cite sources (must include page numbers) or the use of unapproved outside sources will result in a zero on this assignment.

While you should reference the source of your assertions, you should not overuse direct quotations from the course materials. Typically, historians paraphrase (re-state) secondary literature and only quote primary source material when the exact wording is relevant to an argument that they are making.  Re-stating the texts' arguments in your own words develops your analytical abilities and is the appropriate historical style.

Resources

Please see the assignment rubric, below, for information on how the essays will be evaluated. Please review Rampolla's excellent Guide to Writing for History Download Guide to Writing for History

There is also a Q&A Discussion Board available for your questions about this assignment.