| Unit name | Peoples and Places: Knowing the Ancient World |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS30047 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Edwin Shaw |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The societies of the classical world were profoundly shaped by contact with "outsiders": Greek and Roman identities were themselves defined against other cultures and peoples of the Mediterranean. The wider "known world" of the Mediterranean and beyond remained a subject of fascination to both Greek and Roman writers from Homer through to Late Antiquity. But what did ancient authors actually know about the world and peoples which surrounded them? This unit explores the ways in which Greeks and Romans constructed and deployed knowledge about the world, particularly via the textual means of ethnography and geography (writings about peoples and places), and considers the ways in which discourses about other peoples and places shaped their own societies and attitudes. It focuses on themes of identity, knowledge and power, and engages critically with the limitations and ideological dimensions of Greek and Roman visions of the world.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit will allow you to build on existing expertise in classical history, culture and literature. You will have come into contact with some of the source-material before, but we will approach it from new perspectives and asking new questions; many of the sources will be new to you, and will help you to develop a broader understanding of classical literary and intellectual activity. In broader terms, this unit will prompt you to rethink some of your assumptions about classical cultures, their relationships with and perceptions of other inhabitants of the ancient world.
An overview of content
We will explore a very wide chronological period, from the Archaic Greek context for the Homeric poems through to Roman Late Antiquity. Within this broad sweep, we will focus on close reading of primary sources, alongside discussion of the changing historical context. Core texts will include on the Greek side Homer (especially the Odyssey), Herodotus’ Histories and the Hippocratic treatise Airs, Waters, Places; from the Roman world, Caesar’s Gallic War, Tacitus’ Germania and Strabo’s Geography. Other material for discussion may include a range of more unusual texts, from the Greek sailors' handbook of Pseudo-Skylax and early texts of Greek medicine, to Aeschylus’ Persians, through to the grotesques of Pomponius Mela and the late Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus. We will also engage where relevant with modern theoretical approaches to the issues at stake in the unit.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will have thought in detail about the ways in which Greek and Roman observers viewed the world, and will have used specific examples to think more widely about ideas around identity, otherness and knowledge. You will have thought explicitly about the limitations and assumptions encoded in Greek and Roman perpectives on the material, and their impact on the ancient world and beyond, with a view to decentring classical perspectives on the world. You will also have had the opportunity to read a range of unusual and interesting texts, and as such to expand your sense of the literary universe of classical antiquity.
Intended learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class and small-group discussion, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Commentary, 1,000 words (30%) [ILOs 1-4]
Essay, 2,500 words (70%) [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. CLAS30047).
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.
