Classics
FIRST YEAR COURSES IN CLASSICS

Your primary introduction to the study of the Classical world will be be a series of exciting new courses offering you a comprehensive overview of the history and cultures of antiquity.

In these courses you will study the history, archaeology, art, and literature of some of the most important, and culturally significant, civilizations of the past.

The following courses are available to all Classics students, and are compulsory modules for those taking degrees in Ancient History or Ancient History & Classical Archaeology.  Students enrolled on Classical Studies degrees must take two of the four courses in addition to a language course or the two remaining first year courses. Students enrolled for degrees in ancient languages may take them as options.

These courses are available to sub-honours students outside of Classics.

THE GREEK WORLD 1a: GREECE IN THE MAKING

This course will introduce students to the history, society and culture of the ancient Greeks in the period from the Bronze Age through to Archaic and early Classical eras (down to c. 476 BC). The course encourages students to explore Greek culture from different city states ( Athens , Corinth , etc.) and from the Greek colonies. Attention will also be drawn to the political, military, and cultural interaction between Greece and its neighbours ( Persia and Egypt ). The course will be structured around the essential integration of diverse materials, ranging from the study of archaeological sites, key aspects of the development of Greek art and architecture, important historical events, notions of historiography, and major literary works in epic poetry, lyric poetry, and drama.

THE GREEK WORLD 1b: GREECE'S NEW HORIZONS

This course will introduce students to the history, society and culture of the Greeks in the period from c. 476 to the Hellenistic age. The course encourages students to trace the development and dissemination of Greek culture in Athens and other Greek city states in the period from the Peloponnesian War to the formation of the Hellenistic Kingdoms. The course will also explore the rise of Macedon, the reign of Alexander the Great and its aftermath, to the period of the rise of Rome . The course will be structured around the essential integration of diverse materials, ranging from the study of archaeological sites, key aspects of the development of Greek art and architecture, important historical events, notions of historiography, and major literary works in drama, poetry, and rhetoric.

THE ROMAN WORLD 1a: THE RISE OF ROME

This course will introduce students to the history and culture of the Romans in the period from the foundation of Rome to the time of Augustus, focusing on the city of Rome and the spread of Roman power across the ancient world. The course will integrate diverse materials and approaches, including the study of archaeological sites, key aspects of the development of Roman art and architecture, significant historical developments, major literary works (including Virgil, Catullus and Cicero), and ancient and modern approaches to the study of the Roman world.

THE ROMAN WORLD 1b: THE ROMAN EMPIRE

This course will introduce students to the history and culture of Rome under the emperors. It will focus both on the city of Rome and its vast empire, from the Antonine Wall to the Euphrates. The course will integrate diverse materials and approaches, including the study of archaeological sites, key aspects of the development of Roman art and architecture, significant historical developments, major literary works (including Tacitus, Juvenal and Petronius), and ancient and modern approaches to the study of the Roman world.