| Unit name | Greek Religion |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLASM1021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Emeritus Professor. Buxton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Religion, which could be defined as the belief in and worship of superhuman powers, is one of the most complex and intriguing aspects of the ancient Greek world. This unit provides an opportunity for students to investigate religious cults and beliefs attested in Greece from Archaic and Classical periods (roughly 800-400 BC), by means of a thematic approach. Topics examined will include: interpretative approaches to religion in the Greek world; sources for the study of Greek religion, including texts, iconography, epigraphy and archaeology; cult places; festivals; ritual performances; myths.
Reading List: J.N. Bremmer, Greek Religion (Oxford 1994; revised with Addenda 1999). J.N. Bremmer and A. Erskine (eds.), The Gods of Ancient Greece (Edinburgh 2010). L. Bruit Zaidman and P. Schmitt Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City (Cambridge 1992). W. Burkert, Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical (Oxford 1985). R. Buxton, Imaginary Greece (Cambridge 1994). S. Price, Religions of the Ancient Greeks (Cambridge 1999).
