This module is not currently running in 2023 to 2024.
The module is concerned with the history, archaeology and culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and covers the period from c. 776-479 BC. Among the subjects examined in detail are the growth of the formation of the Greek polis (city-state, a central feature of the civilisation of Greece and Rome), the impact of colonisation on the Greek world, and the circumstances for the invasion of Greece by the contemporary Persian world-empire.
Total Contact Hours: 30
• Essay (2,000/3,000 words) – 60%
• Examination (two hours) – 40%
Indicative Reading List
De Sélincourt, A. (2003). Herodotus:The Histories. London: Penguin.
Dewald, C. and J, Maricola (2006). The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dillon, M. (2010). Ancient Greece Social and Historical Documents from Archaic Times to the Death of Alexander the Great. London: Routledge.
Garner, M. (2015). Proxeny and Polis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Harrison, T. (2011). Writing Ancient Persia. London: Duckworth.
Obsborne, R. (1996). Greece in the Making, 1200-479 BC. London: Routledge.
On successfully completing the module Level 6 students will be able to:
8.6 Articulate detailed and nuanced responses to key questions about the nature and value of evidence for early Greek history;
8.7 Demonstrate deep understanding of the importance and implications of Greek polis-formation, colonisation, and Persian expansion within its historical context;
8.8 Demonstrate understanding of the conceptual nuances (and ambiguities) of key ancient Greek terms used within the period;
8.9 Devise sustained, critical and evaluative arguments related to the interpretation of these issues;
8.10 Engage reflectively with current research related to early Greek history.
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