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History

Classics (Credit Plus) (10 credit points)

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

An introduction to ancient Greek and Roman literature and history. The course will be based on the study of extracts from key texts. There will also be weekly study skills tuition and associated exercises, covering reading and writing skills related to the texts under consideration.

Course Details

Content of Course

1. Introduction to Classics: the ancient world and its importance – What is ‘Classics’? What is its value and relevance to our culture and society in the twenty first century?

2. Ovid: The Metamorphoses – selected stories – Introduction to myth. How myth works, and its significance then and now.

3. Sophocles: Oedipus the King – Greek tragedy and its enduring importance. The psychological and political significance of Oedipus the King.

4. Aristotle and contemporary responses to Oedipus the King – How tragedy works. The importance of tragedy in ancient Athens.

5. Herodotus and the beginnings of History – The transition from mythical understanding to rational understanding of the past. ‘History’ and ethnography.

6. Herodotus and the Second Persian Invasion of Greece – The scale of Xerxes’ invasion; Spartan military culture and the Battle of Thermopylae.

7. Virgil and the Epic Tradition/ The Aeneid – The Homeric inheritance, and the importance of the Trojan War in Virgil’s founding myth.

8. Virgil’s The Aeneid – Books 1-4 – The journey of Aeneas from Troy to Carthage.

9. Introduction to Rome in the first century AD. – Roman politics and society under Augustus and Tiberius.

10. Suetonius on the reign of Caligula. – The ‘Mad’ emperor, and the psychology and politics of his reign of terror. 

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course it is intended that students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the set texts, their genres, and the periods in which they were written;

  • Demonstrate through oral contribution in classes, and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to analyse the primary sources in translation, and to handle critically the secondary sources (in English);

  • Demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes, and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to conduct research and to structure ideas;

  • Demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to organize their own learning and to manage their workload.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.