Admission requirements
This class can be taken in fulfilment of the requirements of both the MA and the Research MA program in Classics and Ancient Civilizations (track Classics), with differential requirements.
Required knowledge to take this course: Good knowledge of Greek is required (BA in Classics). Some familiarity with ancient historical and archaeological discourse (but no specific prior knowledge on the topic) will be useful: the course is specifically designed for Classics students who would like to explore the world of material culture.
Admission requirements for other students: a BA degree in Classics obtained from a university in the Netherlands, or a comparable qualification obtained from a university outside the Netherlands. Moreover, students with an international degree have to contact the coordinator of studies to check admissibility.
If you are interested in taking this course, but are not sure whether you fulfill the entry requirements, please, contact the instructor.
Description
Crowning glory of the classical world; enduring symbol of Greece, Europe and the West at large; but also a point of scholarly and diplomatic contestation and controversy: the Acropolis of Athens is where the very essence of the ‘classical’ is cast in stone. While the modern world is more than ever engaged with the ‘sacred rock’, its associations and appearance in Antiquity itself are still shrouded in mystery. The citadel is associated with a complex and varied ensemble of Greek texts which will be the focus of this (Res)MA Greek Tutorial.
In this course we will delve deep into, primarily, the textual world of the Acropolis through close and deep reading of a diachronic selection of longer and shorter passages which deal with the Acropolis, including Herodotus’ Histories, Plato’s Critias, Euripides’ Erechtheus, Pausanias’ Periegesis, Plutarch’s Pericles, Byzantine sources, and more. These readings allow us to learn more about these texts and authors and will reveal stories and myths related to the famous citadel. We will study several inscriptional texts from the Acropolis that relate to and give rise to linguistic and archaeological questions. And, by necessity, this course has a strong interdisciplinary flavor: where relevant we will reach out to the archaeological situation of the Acropolis itself to explore the vexed relation of the textual world to the material one.
Our meetings will consist of a mixture of lectures and readings of primary and secondary literature, which will be chiefly read and prepared independently. In December, participants will write a written exam on the course material up until that point counting towards 30% of the final mark.
Participants will also start work on a topic of their own choice related to the course (to be approved by the teacher), about which they will give an oral presentation of 30 minutes in class and, when taking the 10 EC option, write a final essay, due towards the end of the semester.
There will be ample room for discussion and students will be asked to end their presentations with a topic for discussion. Every student will also be asked to prepare a brief response (5 minutes) for one presentation of a fellow student. Depending of the number of participants, further lectures and readings may be given on the topic.
After the course, participants will have a wide and deep understanding of the textual world concerning the Acropolis of Athens, and will be able to relate this knowledge to the actual archaeological monument.
Course objectives
At the end of this course, students will:
be familiar with recent and ancient scholarship and original source material on the Acropolis;
have the skill to read and assess these sources, and understand them within their cultural context, as demonstrated in written examination;
possess knowledge of the history of scholarship concerning the Acropolis;
be capable of critical assessment of secondary literature.
Research MA students: Advanced research skills: independent formulation of complex research question, collecting materials (both primary texts and results of earlier research). Analyzing results, constructing arguments, formulating conclusions.
MA students: Research skills as above, but with fewer materials and more help, as specified in the first session of class.
Oral presentation: presenting clearly and on the basis of arguments the results of the student’s research. Effective use of hand-out, illustrations and/or multi-media techniques;
Written presentation: setting out research results effectively, clearly and in a well-structured manner. The student will be capable to demonstrate in writing their grasp of critical issues in recent scholarship, and to test and assess recent scholarly contributions by confronting them with the original source material.
This research seminar contributes to the achievement of learning outcomes 4a and 4c (to give and write a clear and well-argued oral and written presentation on a research topic in accordance with academic standards) of the study programme Classics and Ancient Civilizations.
Timetable
The timetable is available on the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations website and the Research MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations website.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Research
Course Load
Total course load 10 EC x 28 hours= 280 hours; or 5 EC x 28 hours= 140 hours
Class hours: 14 × 2= 28 hours;
Preparation examination: 52 hours;
Oral presentation: 40 hours;
Abstract: 20 hours;
Paper: 140 hours.
Assessment Method
In case of 10 EC:
Written examination with essay questions (30%);
Paper (50%; 4500-5500 words (Research MA) or 3500-4500 words (regular MA))
Oral presentation and response + participation (20%).
In case of 5 EC:
Written examination with essay questions (50%)
Abstract (20%)
Oral presentation and response + participation (30%)
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
If the overall mark is unsatisfactory, the student can either revise the paper or retake the examination (after consultation with the teacher). There is no resit for the oral presentation and participation. If the final mark is sufficient, the examination and paper cannot be retaken.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for:
Course material
Announcements
Turning in of Assignments
Reading list
Course material will be made available through Blackboard.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable