Unit name | Greek Language Level C1 |
---|---|
Unit code | CLAS32405 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Lyndsay Coo |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
CLAS22316 or equivalent |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The aim of this unit is to develop and reinforce students’ skills in the reading of ancient Greek, and to do some work on the comparative practical criticism of classical texts. The texts under study – a section of the Odyssey and a late-fifth-century satyr play by Euripides – relate the ‘same’ episode: the encounter of wily Odysseus with the giant Cyclops; but they do so in very different ways. As we read, we shall consider a variety of perspectives from which to view these texts, emphasising especially the need to replace them within their cultural and generic contexts
On successful completion of this unit students should have:
1 x 2 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour seminar
1 essay of 3,000 words and 1 examination of one and a half hours, consisting of a passage of 10-12 lines for unseen translation (30% of exam mark) with passage summary, a passage of 10-12 lines for prepared text translation (30% of exam mark), and a passage of 20 lines with specific questions for comment (40% of exam mark). No choice of questions will be offered and no reference texts or dictionaries will be allowed in this exam.
Reading and References
M. Silk, ‘The Odyssey and its explorations’, in R. Fowler, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Homer (Cambridge 2004)
P. E. Easterling, ‘A show for Dionysus’, and ‘Form and performance’, in P. Easterling, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy (Cambridge 1997)
D. Konstan, ‘An anthropology of Euripides’ Kyklops’, in J. Winkler, F. Zeitlin, eds., Nothing to Do with Dionysos? Athenian Drama in its Social Context (Princeton 1990)
Set Texts:
Homer, Odyssey 9 and Euripides, Cyclops (c. 450 lines of each text to be read in Greek, and the rest in English).