Module CLAS3021: Law and Society in Classical Athens

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS3021: Law and Society in Classical Athens

Type	Open	Level	3	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2010/11	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

• Remembering Athens (CLAS1601).

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide students who have some knowledge of Greek History with a more concentrated study of the legal system of Classical Athens in its political, social and economic contexts in a way that will enhance students' understanding of the Greco-Roman world.

Content

• The Athenians were among the first to face the problems associated with combining democracy with the rule of law.
• The module examines:
• The development of legal and political ideas and institutions through a study of the Aristotelian Constitution of the Athenians, select inscriptions and works of literature (poetry of Solon, Sophoclesae and Antigone).
• Studies the evidence for Athenian law and legal procedure.
• Analysis the rhetrocial strategies for the presentation of facts and the interpretation of statute in the Attic orators.
• Places the laws of Athens in their appropriate political, social and economic context.

Learning Outcomes

• The development of Athenian legal and politcal institutions.
• The basic features of the laws about homicide, the family, citizenship and the economy.
• The social and economic background to Athenian law.
• A range of the evidence for the topic.

• Ability to analyse and evaluate the evidence for Athenian history and law.
• Ability to understand and identify legal issues and to analyse problems of legal interpretation.
• Ability to locate Athenian statutes in their appropriate political, social and/or economic context.
• Ability to evaluate rhetorical strategies in their presentation of arguments about fact and law.

• Analysis, evaluation and synthesis of different types of historical evidence.
• Selection and application of appropriate methodology for different kinds of evidence.
• Analysis and evaluation of modern scholarly literature.
• Lucid, well-organised and cogent written argument.

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

• Seminars enable students to discuss and analyse ancient sources in an interactive environment.
• Tutorials contribute to the critical handling of evidence and facility of discussion.
• Formative essays enable students to learn how to collect and evaluate evidence and to formulate clear, coherent and concise arguments as well as skills in written English.
• Final examination assesses knowledge of the ancient and modern scholarship and the ability to organise knowledge and argument and appropriate to issues raised.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Seminars	22	Weekly	1.5 Hours	33	■
Tutorials	2	1 in MT and 1 in EpT	1	2	■
Preparation and Reading				165
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Examination 100% (three-hour written examination 100%).

Component: Examination		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Examination	3 hours	100%

Formative Assessment:

Two essays (1500 words each).

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■ 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