Skip to main content

Unit information: Historical Survey: Ancient Greece in 2024/25

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Historical Survey: Ancient Greece
Unit code CLAS10035
Credit points 20
Level of study C/4
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director Dr. Knippschild
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

This unit will provide a survey of ancient Greek history, from the Bronze Age (3000 BC) to the Hellenistic period and beyond (to 30 BC). It will focus on broad questions of change and identity by reviewing Greek political and cultural practices from the Aegean to the Peloponnese, from Asia Minor to Sicily. Students will also reflect on different modes of interaction between city-states, from island trade to conquest and imperialism. The unit will introduce students to the fundamental skills of researching ancient history, and of building up a body of knowledge about different historical periods.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

This unit will help you to develop a good knowledge of the broader context of ancient Greek history, as well as more specialised knowledge on specific subjects; it will also introduce you to some questions of method relevant to ancient historical study. This will inform other units you will take in your degree, for example by giving you a grounding in a fundamental period of ancient history and asking you to think about the sources we have available for studying it, or by helping you to contextualise literary or visual materials.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

  1. access and make effective use of discipline-specific resources such as encyclopaedias and historical reference works;
  2. synthesise material from reference works in order to explain historically specific information;
  3. recognise the range and diversity of political and cultural practices which comprise ancient Greek history;
  4. assess how the diversity of political and cultural practices over space and time impact on their understanding of change and identity;
  5. demonstrate skills in collaborative working;
  6. exhibit skills in written academic expression at a standard appropriate to level C/4.

How you will learn

This unit will involve a combination of independent investigative activities, long- and short-form lectures, and discussion. Students will be expected to engage with materials and participate on a weekly basis. Feedback will be provided for both formative and summative assessments, and this will be supported by meetings with tutors.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

45-minute class test (10%) [ILOs 1, 2, 6].

1,800 word essay, submitted for peer review (90%) [ILOs 1-6].

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS10035).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

Feedback