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2021/22 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

CLAS2430 The Ancient Greek Novel

20 creditsClass Size: 12

Module manager: Dr Owen Hodkinson
Email: O.D.Hodkinson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

Pre-requisite qualifications

None

This module is mutually exclusive with

CLAS3430

The Ancient Greek Novel

Module replaces

None

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The module encourages detailed study of four examples of the Greek novel (Chariton’s Callirhoe, Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe, Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Cleitophon, and the epistolary novel attributed to Chion of Heraclea) and one prescribed short epistolary fiction, pseudo-Aeschines’ Epistle 10; The module aims to promote understanding of the nature of the Greek novel as a literary genre and the origins of the novel in Western literature, and of the narrative technique of five of its authors; to locate the Greek novel in its Imperial cultural context; and to acquaint students with a variety of contemporary approaches to the Greek novel. The module is worth 20 credits and runs in semester 2, with two lectures per week and a total of 5 seminars which will focus on close reading and interpretation of key passages.

Objectives

On successful completion of this module, students should have acquired an understanding and appreciation of the Greek novel, including the epistolary novel and epistolary fictions, through detailed study of selected novels. In particular, they should be able to provide an informed analysis of the nature of the Greek novel as a literary genre, and of the narrative technique of three novels and the development of the genre over time, as well as the contribution of epistolary fiction to the genre; they should be able to relate the Greek novel to its cultural context in the Roman Empire; they should be familiar with a variety of contemporary approaches to the study of the Greek novel.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students completing this module will have gained:
1 a detailed knowledge of the four prescribed novels and one prescribed short epistolary fiction;
2 an understanding of the nature of the Greek novel including the epistolary novel as a literary genre, and of the narrative technique and of three five of its authors;
3 an understanding of the Greek novel’s relation to its cultural context in the Roman Empire;
4 familiarity with a variety of contemporary approaches to the study of the Greek novel.
5. an understanding of the genre’s place in the history of sexuality, including the debate between Foucault and his critics.

Skills outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students are expected to be able to:
- analyse critically various forms of primary evidence and relate them to each other and their historical and cultural context.
- engage critically with secondary literature with a range of focuses and approaches (e.g. narratology; studies of sex and gender in antiquity) on the prescribed novels and on the genre.

Syllabus

The module offers the student the opportunity to study four novels: Chariton’s Callirhoe, Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe, Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Cleitophon, and the epistolary novel attributed to Chion of Heraclea; and one prescribed short epistolary fiction, pseudo-Aeschines’ Epistle 10;
The introductory lectures will discuss the invention of prose fiction in Greece and the so-called ‘Second Sophistic’ movement of Imperial Greek literature; highlight important themes and issues in the four novels and one short story in letter form, in particular their common love-story theme, and the use of embedded letters in the narratives, and contextualise this against the background of earlier Greek erotic and other fictional literature; and discuss some of the problems of interpretation posed by texts composed in a culture different from our own by authors about whom we have very little reliable independent evidence. In the subsequent lectures the novels themselves will be studied with a view to: generic innovation, models, and development from Chariton to Longus, Achilles and ‘Chion’; narrative technique (including use of epistolary narrative in the ‘standard’ novels compared with the epistolary fictions) and structure; representations and constructions of gender, sexuality, and love.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	20	1.00	20.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			175.00
Total Contact hours			25.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Reading primary texts: 50
Lecture preparation: 20 x1 = 20
Seminar preparation: 5 x 4 = 20
Coursework preparation: 45
Exam preparation: 40
Total: 175

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative feedback will be available through seminar contributions and opportunities to attend twice-weekly office hours, the latter to include the opportunity to discuss a plan our outline of the coursework and of the exam essay question, which will be widely advertised in VLE, lecture slides, module booklet and during lectures and seminars.
Written and, if requested at an office hour, oral feedback on the summatively-assessed coursework will also function as formative feedback for the essay question in the exam.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2500 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

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

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	48 hr	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Exam essay titles will be given in S2 / Week 7, after coursework submission deadline

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 19/07/2021

Disclaimer

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