Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Love in Greek Literature
School	History and Cultures
Department	Classics, AH and Archaeology
Module Code	09 28093
Module Lead	Elena Theodorakopoulos
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Practical Classes and workshops-10 hours Guided independent study-180 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Love fascinates Greek writers throughout antiquity. Love is personified by two deities, Aphrodite and Eros, each of them multifaceted and mysterious; love has power over even the gods themselves. From the judgement of Paris onwards, it is the catalyst for great stories of heroism and tragedy. It causes the most intense pleasure and pain, misery and joy. It can bring out the worst of human conduct, but also the best. Philosophers find in it the key to the relationship between the human soul, with its aspirations to eternity, and the mortal, physical world through which life's journey must be made. This module explores representations of love and its effects in Greek texts across a range of periods and genres.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: show a detailed and critical understanding of literary and philosophical conceptions of love and desire in ancient Greece; analyse and interpret representations of, and arguments concerning, love and desire in ancient Greek literary and philosophical texts; show sophisticated awareness and critical understanding of theoretical approches to the study of gender and desire in ancient societies; carry out research and present ideas and arguments clearly and professionally.
Assessment	28093-01 : 1,500 Word Comparative Commentary : Coursework (40%) 28093-02 : 2,500 Word Essay : Coursework (60%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 3,000 word coursework (100%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed component(s)
Other	None
Reading List