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2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2370 The Archaic Age of Greece, c 750-478 B.C.

20 creditsClass Size: 28

Module manager: Mr IS Moxon
Email: i.s.moxon@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

As the earliest period in the European past accessible to historians (as opposed to archaeologists), the so-called Archaic Age provides the first opportunity for the study of the emerging economic, social, institutional, political, and cultural life of Greek and Asiatic communities bordering the Aegean Sea.

Objectives

On completion of this module students will have become familiar with the formative period in Greek development towards city organisation and democracy. They will be able to use in translation a variety of extended and fragmentary sources (literary, epigraphic and numismatic) in reconstructing the period's history, and will have learned to exercise a critical faculty in judging their reliability. They will have found in this civilisation the origins of many social and political institutions current in the mainstream Western tradition. They will have had their knowledge of the English language enriched by learning the Greek prototypes of many technical terms and words in general usage.

Skills outcomes
Enhances Common Skills listed below:

High-level skills in oral and written communication of complex ideas.
Independence of mind and self-discipline and self-direction to work effectively under own initiative.
Ability to locate, handle and synthesize large amounts of information.
Capacity to employ analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to engage constructively with the ideas of their peers, tutors and published sources.
Empathy and active engagement with alternative cultural contexts.


Syllabus

The module will cover the following major topics:
- The Greek city-states (poleis) and the backward tribal areas (ethne);
- the spread of the Hellenic peoples through colony-foundation;
- the demise of kingship and rise of the aristocracies; tyranny as an institution;
- law-codes and reformers (Athens);
- land-tenure and social structure (Sparta);
- warfare between cities and with barbarians;
- warships and naval developments;
- Greek religion - temples, altars and oracles;
- trade, ports-of-trade and interchange with the barbarians;
- the development of demos and demokratia;
- the dating of events BC; the Persian Empire.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture111.0011.00
Tutorial61.006.00
Private study hours183.00
Total Contact hours17.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Exam preparation; researching, preparing, and writing assignments; undertaking set reading; and self-directed reading around the topic. 183 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Contributions to class discussions, an assessed exercise or exercises worth 10% of module marks, an assessed essay.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1 x 2,000 word assessed essay to be deliveredby 12 noon on Friday in teaching week 730.00
Online AssessmentVLE Exercise10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)40.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)2 hr 00 mins60.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)60.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/04/2009

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