Guidelines for Exam Review

The exam will consist of two parts: eight short answer questions (worth five points each; 8x5= 40) and one longer essay (worth 60 points). The short answer questions will be drawn from class discussion and your readings. The lecture and study guides, along with your class notes, will help you review for the short answer part of the exam.

Essay Questions (one of the following questions will appear on the exam):

Using examples from both Vergil and Cicero’s texts, explain what qualities made a good leader. What happened to individuals who displayed excessive pride, were morally corrupt, or who abused their power? 

Using examples from both Vergil and Cicero’s texts, define the Roman attitude towards violence.  When is it necessary to use force in order to remove moral danger from the community? 

 Guidelines for writing a successful essay. (Adapted from the UW guidelines for essay writing):

Excellent (60-55 pts):

The essay is outstanding in almost all areas. The scope of the topic has been sufficiently narrowed so that the writer is presenting adequate evidence in the time allotted. The argument is logical, coherent and well-supported with evidence from the texts. The prose is clear, smooth and consistently grammatical.

Very Good (54-45 pts):

The essay nearly lives up to the above standards, but falls short in a few minor areas. If the prose is occasionally awkward or one part of the argument is not as well developed as the others with supporting evidence from the text, then this essay may be considered less than ideal.

Good (44-35 pts):

This essay may start off with a logical argument, but then falls short in a major area. It might be full of minor errors in grammar, it might not have a coherent argument, or perhaps it fails to answer the question in detail. Supporting evidence from the text may be lacking.

Ok (34-25 pts):

This essay, while offering some interesting ideas, fails to provide an organized, focused and/or coherent argument.  The argument also lacks depth and does not provide substantial evidence from the texts. The prose may be consistently awkward.

Fail (24 pts and below):

This essay shows a complete misunderstanding of the material dealt with and fails to present the materials in the form of a coherent argument. The prose fails to meet the basic standards of written English.