Ancient Greece: Archaic to Classical

Subject ANCW20010 (2015)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2015.

Credit Points: 12.5
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2015.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: A 1.5-hour lecture per week for 12 weeks and eleven 1-hour tutorials scheduled across the semester
Total Time Commitment:

Total expected time commitment is 8.5 hours per week including class time: total time commitment 102 hours

Prerequisites:

None

Corequisites:

None

Recommended Background Knowledge:

None

Non Allowed Subjects:

None

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/


Subject Overview:

This subject concentrates on mainland Greece and the Mediterranean from ca. 1000 BC to ca. 440 BC. It will explore the development of ancient Greece from the so-called Dark Age (Early Iron Age) to the rise of Athens, which became, thanks to the policy of Pericles, the centre of Greek culture and intellectual life. Particular attention will be paid to the emergence of the polis-system (city states) from small villages, the invention of the Greek alphabet, myths, the first Olympic Games, how the close relationship between Greece and the Near East shaped Greek culture, Greek colonisation, and the role of religious practices and temples. The art and archaeology of the Greeks in other areas of the Mediterranean will be studied. There is examination of modern scholarship on ethnicity, colonisation, migration and acculturation. These concepts are especially important for the study of the Archaic period, which differs greatly from the succeeding Classical period that has given us the splendid monuments of the Athenian Acropolis.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

  • possess a detailed knowledge of the development of the city-state in ancient Greece.
  • understand the social issues raised by the growth of the Greek city-state.
  • be aware of the difficulties involved in interpreting the archaeological evidence for the study of Greek culture.
  • be able to apply current scholarly methodologies to the analysis of the city-states contribution to the construction of Greek ethnicity.
  • develop skills in research, analysis, writing and communication.
Assessment:

A tutorial presentation and essay of 2500 words 60% (due during semester), a take-home exam of 1500 words 30% (due during the examination period), and tutorial participation 10%.

Hurdle requirement: students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day; after five working days, no late assessment will be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Prescribed Texts:

I. Morris and B.B. Powell, The Greeks: History, Culture, and Society , 2 nd ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ 2010.



Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

  • be skilled in critical thinking.

  • possess effective written communication skills.

  • have an understanding of social, ethical and cultural context.

Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Ancient World Studies
Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Studies Major
Classical Studies and Archaeology
Classical Studies and Archaeology
Related Breadth Track(s): Ancient Greece Studies
Archaeology

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