2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

CLAS3350 Herodotus and the Beginning of History

20 creditsClass Size: 24

Module manager: Dr Roger Brock
Email: R.W.Brock@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Pre-requisite qualifications

None

This module is mutually exclusive with

CLAS2350

Herodotus and the Beginning of History

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module is suitable for Level 3 students with some knowledge of Classical literature and/or history. It enables students to investigate the origins of historical writing in ancient Greece through a detailed study of the earliest surviving historiographer, Herodotus. Among the aspects covered will be Herodotus' sources and his handling of them, his literary presentation, his geographic and ethnographic interests, his account of the conflict between Greece and Persia, and his historical outlook. The Histories is studied in English translation (tr. R. Waterfield, Herodotus, Oxford World's Classics 1998). The module is worth 20 credits, with two lectures per week and a total of five seminars.

Objectives

The objective of this module is to enable students to investigate the origins of historical writing in ancient Greece through a detailed study of the earliest surviving historiographer, Herodotus. The module will also encourage students to consider issues common to all historical writing such as periodisation, sources, literary presentation and the impact of authorial outlook and interpretation.

Learning outcomes
1. Students will gain a knowledge of Herodotus’ Histories (and to a lesser extent of the events it describes, culminating in the Persian invasion of Greece) and of the earliest phase in the development of western thought about the recording and interpretation of the past.
2. They will acquire and deploy a knowledge of recent scholarship on Herodotus and the main current lines of critical approach to his work.
3. In addition, students will gain a familiarity with the critical issues which arise in the study of historical writing
4. They will also be able to relate the emergence of Greek historiography to broader cultural trends and to locate Herodotus in the intellectual context of his time.
5. Finally, the coursework assessment will develop writing skills beyond the conventional essay

Syllabus

The module will deal with the Histories of Herodotus as a whole, though particular attention will be given to Books 1, 3 & 8. Among the aspects covered will be Herodotus' sources and his handling of them, his literary presentation, his geographic and ethnographic interests, his account of the conflict between Greece and Persia, and his historical outlook.

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

4 hours reading per lecture = 4x20 = 80
3 hours reading per seminar = 3x5 = 15
Research and writing of short assignment: 30 hours
Preparation for examination and revision: 50 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

The short (1500-word) assignment will serve to monitor student knowledge of the text and understanding of key features and critical concepts and to provide structured feedback; this will be supported informally by participation in the seminars.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Online Assessment	48 hrs; 3 hrs recommended duration.	65.00
Assignment	Commentary exercise (c. 1500 words)	35.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

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: 08/05/2024

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