Studying the Greek World
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CLAR1009 | Classics and Archaeology | 1 | 10 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- CLAR1009
- School
- Classics and Archaeology
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module provides a wide-ranging interdisciplinary introduction to the history, literature, culture and art of the Greek World from c.1600-31 BC; that is from the Bronze Age to becoming part of the Roman Empire. As well as examining all the major chapters of Greece's history from the Mycenaean Period and the Dark Ages, to the rise of the polis in the Archaic period, to the height of Greek civilisation in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, and finally its conquest and absorption into the Roman Empire, it also explores synchronous developments in Greek literary and artistic culture, and considers aspects of the reception of ancient Greece in modern western culture. This module will also examine the relationship of the Greek world to the Roman World, and will be complemented by the Spring semester module Studying the Roman World. No prior knowledge of the Greek world is assumed.
Target Students
Available to all Undergraduate level 1 students in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, including Liberal Arts, exchange and subsidiary students.
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 80% Coursework 1: Annotated Bibliography Exercise - 1500 words
- 20% Coursework 2: Online quiz during Christmas Vacation
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
1. To provide students with a thorough and wide-ranging foundation in Greek history, literature and art, in order to develop the necessary knowledge and understanding to undertake more focused modules in the 2nd and 3rd year, and to take an informed approach to their final year dissertations.2. To introduce basic themes, arguments and debates about the Greek world by examining the synchronous development and relationship between Greek history, literature and art.3. To provide background for the more detailed study of history, literature and art in other first-year modules offered by the Department of Classics.4. To initialise the development of study skills.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding; have acquired an understanding of the ancient Greek world and their relationship to it; have a detailed knowledge of specific topics which make up the study of the ancient Greek world (e.g. art, politics, gender, slavery, religion); be familiar with an appropriate and diverse range of evidence for classical antiquity (e.g. literary, art-historical, epigraphic); command a range of techniques and methodologies, such as skills in reading (whether secondary or primary literature), and in textual and/or visual analysis.
Intellectual Skills: to engage in detailed analysis of a wide range of ancient evidence; to think independently while giving due weight to the arguments of others; to understand complex ideas and relate them to specific problems or questions; to acquire substantial quantities of information systematically and process it effectively; to construct a coherent argument substantiated by relevant evidence and present it orally or on paper.
Professional Practical Skills; to select, sift and synthesise information from a range of primary and secondary sources; to identify and compare central arguments in relation to these materials; to use library resources effectively.
Transferable (key) skills; to work productively with others; to communicate effectively in writing; to develop intellectual autonomy; to organise and manage working time, including scheduling tasks and meeting deadlines; to take responsibility for their own learning, reflect upon and assess their own progress, strengths and weaknesses.