Your assignment is to imagine that you are living during one of the time periods we are studying during the semester, and also that you are a close friend/relative/associate of a historical figure. You can choose to be one of the following: A close friend of Socrates A Macedonian soldier traveling with Alexander the Great Cleopatras best friend A Senator living during Emperor Neros reign Clotilde, the second wife of King Clovis One of Charlemagnes daughters You will write a series of diary entries (5-7 entries in all) in the first-person in which you reflect upon your friend/relative/associate. Your diary entries should discuss, but not necessarily be limited to the following: The political situation surrounding the friend/relative/associate How your friend/relative/associate reacts to various situations, including obstacles and victories. General characteristics of the personality of your friend/relative/associate How other people feel about your friend/relative/associate. (Are they feared? Loved? Respected? Hated? Do they incite any other strong emotions? What causes the feelings about them you have highlighted? Please remember that the diary entries need to reflect the mores and culture of the time, rather than those of the twentieth-first century. So where should you begin? Start by looking up facts about the character you will be writing about in the online textbook. Then, go Wikipedia. Check out general information about your friend/relative/associate as well as the time period during which he or she lived. You can also check out other websites to get additional information.
