Transcript Classical Studies

Classical Studies 2015
The Odyssey
Greek Society 5thC BC
Greek Drama – Tragedy
Course Set-up
• What we could have done & why we don’t
• Stage 1 Ancient Studies
• Mixture of literature and social studies
– Term 1: Odyssey
– Term 2: Greek Society
– Term 3: Greek Tragedy
What relevance …
• To the modern world
The Odyssey
• Epic poem – what is that?
• One of first works of literature
• Relations between gods and men, men
and women, heroes and their environment
• The importance of revenge and honour
• The evolving concept of hero
Greek Society 5th C BC
• Much comparison of Sparta and Athens
• Relationship of people to their city state
(polis) and their family group (oikos)
• Education in both cities
• Roles of women, sex & marriage
• Class groups in each place
• From Persian Wars 490BC to end
Peloponnesian Wars 404BC.
Greek Drama
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Origins in Dionysiac revelry
Tragedy in 5th C BC
Foundation of modern theatre
Individual vs the state
loyalty to the gods
the place of women
The faults of humans
Books
• Homer, The Odyssey, Penguin Classics edition,
revised translation by DCH Rieu (not the original
by EV Rieu)
$11.95
• Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, Penguin
Classics, tr. Robert Fagles
$11.95
• Euripides, Medea and Other Plays, Penguin
Classics, tr. Philip Vellacott
$11.95
Assignments
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Nine assignments (70% of year’s mark)
Essays (40%) 1 at end of each term, i.e.
13.3% each: exam conditions, questions
from past exam papers
Folio (30%) 2 per term: analysis reports,
creative writing, narrative etc.
Special Study
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30% of year’s mark
You choose the topic
Can be up to 50% in modern world
Polished essay of 2,000 words
Must be an argument, not a report
Close contact with teacher
Skills
• Independent thinking – look at the modern
world in a different way
• Literacy – highly polished essay skills
• Learn about the cradle of modern western
civilisation – the Classical Age
• Do timeline …
The Holidays
• Read first four books of The Odyssey
• Consider the construction of the Epic Hero
as presented in these books (Odysseus,
Nestor, Menelaus, the problems of
Telemachus … and Helen!)
• Return pumped for first lecture on Homer
and Greek pre-history