Module CLAS45230: Linear B: Mycenaean Greek and Homer’s World

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS45230: Linear B: Mycenaean Greek and Homer’s World

Prerequisites

• At least one year of Greek at University level is preferable, but not essential.

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• The module aims at introducing students to the study of Linear B, the earliest written form of the Greek language, while also focusing on the socio-political structure of Mycenaean Greece to the extent that this can be reconstructed through the tablets and surviving material culture.

Content

• Classes will begin with the introduction of the script and the Mycenaean Greek language, before moving on to the actual reading of tablets and discussions of their contents and archaeological contexts.
• We will also consider the relevance of Linear B and Mycenaean archaeology for the study of Homer, and vice versa.
• Classes will further include students’ presentations on subjects of their choice relating to Linear B epigraphy, Mycenaean linguistics, Mycenaean archaeology and/or the relationship between Mycenaean Greek society and the world of the Homeric poems.

Learning Outcomes

• A good understanding of the Linear B script, for the most part in transliteration, and the Mycenaean Greek language.
• A broad understanding of Mycenaean material culture.
• A broad understanding of the scholarly debate surrounding Homeric poetry and its relation to the Greeks’ prehistoric past.

• Ability to read, comprehend and comment on Linear B tablets in transliteration.
• Ability to critically engage with and evaluate a range of scholarship in the fields of Linear B studies, Mycenaean archaeology, and Homeric studies.
• Ability to make proper use at the appropriate level of reference and bibliography.

• Capacity to interpret and analyse a wide range of different written and material sources.
• Assessment of different methodologies and approaches.
• Ability to produce independent research and to communicate its results with sophistication in both written and oral format.

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

• Teaching takes place by fortnightly seminars (two-hour long) organised around specific research questions and sources.
• Summative assessment consists of a max. 5,000-word essay on a topic of each student's own choosing. Students will have to discuss their topic and title with the module convenor and get approval.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Normally an outline or draft of the summative.

■ 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