Module CLAS2371: THE GREEK GODS

Department: CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY

CLAS2371: THE GREEK GODS

Prerequisites

• The Athenian Empire (478-404 BC) (CLAS1121) OR The Myths and Art of Ancient Greece (CLAS1131) OR The Narrative Voice (CLAS1011) OR The Speaking Voice (CLAS1021) OR Greek and Roman Society (CLAS1031) OR Beginners' Greek (CLAS1302) OR Intermediate Greek (CLAS1022), OR Advanced Greek 1 (CLAS1032), OR Classical Theories of Soul (CLAS1531), OR Early Greek Philosophy (CLAS1101).

Corequisites

• For students in the Classics Department, please refer to the Regulations for your degree programme. For students from other Departments, there are no corequisites.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To study the ancient Greek gods from an interdisciplinary perspective.
• Literary, visual, epigraphic and archaeological sources are taken into account, and several approaches to the study of religion are discussed.
• The module builds on knowledge of Greek literature and history acquired in the first year.

Content

• The module offers an investigation of the ancient Greek gods from an interdisciplinary perspective The first lectures are devoted to the sources available for the study of Greek religion and to some central themes of the module: Hesiod's Theogony and the birth of the gods, the Homeric Hymns and the politics of Olympus, the Homeric gods and their critics , temples and festivals, pan-Hellenic versus local representations of the gods.
• In conjunction with this first series of lectures, a seminar focuses on the Parthenon.
• The central section of the module is devoted to individual gods.
• Each lecture investigates a particular deity using several different types of sources to illuminate its nature and cult.
• A seminar is devoted to athletics as a form of worship.
• At the end of the module some broader themes are addressed: oracles, mysteries, epiphany, divine travel and, more generally, the interaction between gods and mortals.
• A seminar focuses on Pan and the introduction of new gods into the Greek pantheon.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of a range of sources used for studying the Greek gods, in particular literary sources and, to a lesser extent, inconographical material. Knowledge of the most influential approaches to the study of Greek religion.

• An ability to apply a variety of approaches to a set of complex and diverse sources; to place those sources in their historical and cultural context; and an ability to grasp and express the ways in which ancient Greek texts and images portray the gods.

• An ability to engage in an informed and sophisticated way with a range of texts and images from an alien culture; an ability to compare and assess different interpretative approaches and methodologies; a capacity to sustain a clear, well-structured and well-defended argument in written form.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The lectures focus on the main topics covered in the module: birth narratives of the gods, local versus pan-Hellenic representations, epiphanies, divine travels, forms of worship. These enable the students to obtain an overview of the subject specific knowledge outlined in the Learning Outcomes.
• Students are introduced to a variety of critical approaches to the study of Greek religion.
• Seminars enable students to discuss and develop their ideas in an interactive environment.
• Tutorials provide an opportunity to give specific feedback on written work and discuss any other matters of individual interest.
• Assessment will be via an essay in which students are asked to give a detailed analysis of a single source for the study of the ancient gods of their own choice (cf. comments on the importance of source criticism in Learning Outcomes, Subject Specific Knowledge, and Subject-Specific Skills). A two-hour exams asks them to comment on a different source (which can be selected from a short list) and to write an essay addressing broader issues of interpretation. The exam ensures that students can engage with a wide range of texts and images and of interpretative approaches and methodologies (cf. Learning Outcomes, Key Skills).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Essays/Seminar contributions for the tutorials/seminars. No collections.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University