Classical Civilisation

Course summary

These three modules have been chosen to encompass as much of the Classical World as possible through looking at the literature, philosophy and thought, material culture, society and people of the Classical World. What is Classical Civilisation? • The world of Classics is all around us: in our literature, our theatre, our art, our philosophy and still there to be seen at Hadrian’s Wall, Bath and Lunt Fort outside Coventry (to name but a few sites in this country). Classics is thriving in schools and universities. Indeed, television and film are showing an increasing interest in the Ancient world, on topics such as gladiators, Pompeii, the Trojan War, Boudicca, Alexander the Great, and the society and culture of Greece and Rome, and more and more theatres are putting on productions of not only Ancient Drama but also drama inspired by the Ancient World and the people who were part of that world? • The modules have been chosen to encompass as much of the Classical World as humanly possible looking at the literature, society and people of the Classical World. In this module, students will study both Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid, epics which are the foundation of Western, if not World, literature. Students will develop an increasingly sophisticated knowledge and understanding of the epics themselves, how they were composed and the religious, cultural and social values and beliefs of its society. The idea of heroism will be discussed, allowing students to consider what makes a hero, as well as the similarities and differences between an ancient and a modern hero. The history and politics of these epics will be explored, as well as how they influenced both Homer and Virgil and how we can use these epics as a prism through which we can analyse and understand our history and politics.