Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Special Subject A: Greeks and Barbarians
School	History and Cultures
Department	Classics, AH and Archaeology
Module Code	09 37474
Module Lead	Dr Andrew Bayliss
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites	LH Special Subject B: Greeks and Barbarians - (09 37475)
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	This module and its co-requisite (Special Subject B: Greeks and Barbarians) will allow students to engage in in-depth research and study on a topic in Classics, Byzantine Studies, Egyptology, Ancient History, or Archaeology. Working in a small group format under the guidance of the module co-ordinator, students will engage with key primary material and with research findings, interpretative approaches, and methodologies associated with the module topic. The module will help students to develop and exercise advanced research skills and to learn through critique and discussion, as well as to acquire knowledge and expertise in their chosen topic. The stunning victory of the Athenians over the Persians at Marathon and the equally dramatic desperate last stand of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at Thermopylae were defining moments in ancient Greek history. In many ways Greek identity was forged in these and other battles against the Persians. This course will consider what the Greeks thought of foreigners and their religions, cultures and politics, and what these beliefs and opinions reveal about the Greeks themselves. Often disdainful or dismissive of foreigners or ‘Barbarians’, the Greeks tended to regard non-Greeks as at best inferior, and at worst as candidates for conquest and enslavement. This module will focus on the defining encounters between Greeks and non-Greeks – both historical and mythological – e.g. the Persians, Amazons, Trojans, Scythians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, and Celts.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: analyse and appraise key findings, interpretative approaches, and methodologies relevant to the material under discussion analyse and evaluate a wide range of relevant primary source material critically evaluate the scholarly context and trends of the subject under exploration summarise and evaluate the subject material with clarity and confidence, in writing and in oral presentation
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 2,000-word essay (50%) and 1 x 10-minute individual presentations (50%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed component(s)
Other
Reading List