Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI Classical Epic
School	History and Cultures
Department	Classics, AH and Archaeology
Module Code	09 27261
Module Lead	Philip Burton
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-20 hours Seminar-4 hours Guided independent study-176 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	The module studies Greek and Roman epic poetry from Homer to Late Antiquity. Texts for detailed study will be chosen from a range which may include (but is not restricted to) the Homeric epics, the Homeric Hymns, the works of Apollonius, Ennius, Catullus, Virgil, Lucan, Statius, and Quintus of Smyrna. It combines new perspectives on familiar classical texts with investigation of less widely-read authors from various periods. Students will follow the development of the epic genre and explore how its literary techniques and sense of tradition adapt to radically transformed cultural, social and historical circumstances. Students will also be encouraged to draw comparisons with the epic traditions of other cultures and to engage critically with modern receptions and translations of ancient epic.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Have a good knowledge of the central texts of the Graeco-Roman epic tradition; Understand these texts from a variety of intellectual standpoints; Have a grasp of the development of the wider epic tradition in classical poetry; Begin to engage critically with the reception of ancient epic in modern literature.
Assessment	27261-01 : 1000 Word Essay : Coursework (30%) 27261-03 : 2000 Word Essay : Coursework (70%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1,500 word essay (33%) and 2,500 word essay (67%) Reassessment: Same as assessment
Other	None
Reading List