| Unit name | The Persian Empire |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS30010 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Knippschild |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The Achaemenid Empire lasted more than two hundred years, and controlled at its height more than 2 million square miles; yet it is consistently marginalised in most ancient historical study, which focuses on the cultures (and implicitly the perspectives) of Greece and Rome. Indeed, the
Achaemenid Empire is usually viewed through the prism of the Graeco-Persian Wars – which themselves constitute the beginning of the western tradition of Orientalism, the point of origin of preconceived archetypes describing the East as fundamentally different from and weaker than the West. In This unit we will study in detail the history and culture of the Achaemenid Empire, with a view to reconstructing its complexity and significance: we will explore not only the major historical events in the rise and collapse of the Achaemenid Empire, but also aspect of its rich and distinctive culture.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit gives you the opportunity to look beyond Greece and Rome to another major area of interest in the ancient world, the Near East. We will engage with Ancient Near Eastern sources from Persia, Babylon, the Old Testament and Egypt. We will also discuss source-material and perspectives that you may well have studied before (most importantly Herodotus), but do so in a way which engages critically with his Greek perspective on events; we will explore the ways in which Greek characterisations of Persia present at best a distorted version of the Achaemenid empire. The wider ideas about Achaemenid history culture explored in this unit provide a useful comparator for thinking about some of the distinctive elements of Greece and Rome, and a reminder that these classical cultures are not the only inhabitants of the ancient world.
An overview content
We will cover in detail the most important events in the history of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and key aspects of its culture. Special attention will be placed on understanding the creation of the first truly multicultural empire of the ancient world and of the politics behind it, such as the so-called first charter of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder. We will also study the intercultural communication and the mutual influences between East and West, before turning to the culture clash between Persians and Greeks and
Herodotus’ Histories, which constitute one of the roots of modern Orientalism.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will have had the opportunity to explore a significant region within ancient history beyond the Greco-Roman Mediterranean, and to do so from a perspective which reflects explicitly on the distortions of an exclusively Greek world-view; they will have considered the role of Orientalist ideas in the ancient world, and in the formation of Classics and Ancient History as a modern academic discipline. Students will also have had the opportunity to reflect on key aspects of Achaemenid society, and to consider the historical dynamics at stake in its rise and fall.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
This unit will involve a combination of independent investigative activities, long- and short-form lectures, and discussion. Students will be expected to engage with materials and participate on a weekly basis. Feedback will be provided for both formative and summative assessments, and this will be supported by meetings with tutors.
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
500 word source analysis poster [ILOs 2, 3]
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,500 word essay [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS30010).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
