Unit information: Ancient Historical Writers in 2021/22

Unit name	Ancient Historical Writers
Unit code	CLAS10039
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Edwin Shaw
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit will introduce students to some of the main writers of the Greek and Roman world who wrote what we now consider to be works of history and in so doing will reflect on our own methods of historical writing. Our word history comes from the Greek term historia, but what did ancient people think history writing was and how does this compare to what we think we are doing when we write about the history of the ancient world? How far are categories from modern historical theory, such as causation, change and the past, relevant to ancient historical writers? How far did those we now think of as historical writers think they were writing ‘a history’ or have other ways of thinking about the project in which they were engaged, and how does this help us reflect on what we do?

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will be able to:

1. identify and provide key information about some of the main ancient historical writers of the Greek and Roman worlds;
2. identify and explain some of the key features of ancient historical writing;
3. identify and explain some of the key features of modern historical writing about the ancient world;
4. reflect on the similarities and differences between ancient and modern historical writing about the ancient in order to have a greater understanding of what it means to be a student of ancient history in a modern university;
5. demonstrate skills of academic writing at a level appropriate to level C;
6. demonstrate skills of collaborative working.

Teaching Information

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.

Assessment Information

1,700 word analysis of passage from an ancient historical writer, submitted for peer review, with 300 word reflection on the peer-review process (100%). (ILOs 1-5)

Resources

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. CLAS10039).

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 Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
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. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.