Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	Sparta
School	History and Cultures
Department	Classics, AH and Archaeology
Module Code	09 22891
Module Lead	Dr Andrew Bayliss
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-20 hours Guided independent study-180 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Spartan society is the enigma of the ancient Greek world. The peculiarity of Sparta excited the imagination of contemporaries from other Greek states and has continued to serve as both a positive and a negative social and political model up until the present day. This module will attempt to get behind the so-called ‘Spartan mirage’ through detailed study of the ancient evidence and a wide-ranging examination of its society and institutions. It will consider Sparta’s military ethos, the role of the Spartan education system (agōgē), the relationship between the Spartans and the helots, the roles of women in Spartan society, and the image of Sparta in modern culture. Students will also examine the varied ways in which Sparta has been appropriated by ancient and modern writers, and the impact this has had upon academic study of the Spartans in order to evaluate just how far we can assume an understanding of their unique society.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module the student should be able to: Research different aspects of Spartan society; Analyse the available evidence and determine its contribution to our understanding of Spartan society; Synthesise and evaluate themes across a wide range of diverse material; Demonstrate specialised knowledge concisely in a written form.
Assessment	22891-01 : 4000 word : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 3,000 word coursework (100%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed component(s)
Other	None
Reading List