| Unit name | Epic |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS22361 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Hitch |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit will examine a selection of epic works from Greece and Rome all studied in translation to trace the development of Greek and Latin epic from the oral tradition of Homer through the literary composition exemplified by Virgil's Aeneid to the generically challenging form of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Themes studied in this unit will include epic and genre, epic and gender, epic and myth, epic and history, gods and heroes. Students will be encouraged to consider textual and contextual differences between Greek, Roman, and postclassical epic, and to analyse the changing dynamics of the epic tradition.
