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Unit information: Historical Topic: The Hellenistic World in 2026/27

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 Topic: The Hellenistic World
Unit code CLAS10034
Credit points 20
Level of study C/4
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
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

This unit explores political and social developments in the Mediterranean world in the Hellenistic Era. This period is important for understanding the dissemination of Greek culture around the Mediterranean and its transmission through the growth of the new empires. It will cover the rise of the Macedonian Empire, the conquest of Western Asia, and the Successors to Alexander. The unit focuses on intercultural contacts between the Greeks and the different ethnic groups of Western Asia, mutual influences, clashes of culture and the diverse ways of dealing with them, as well as some of the mental pictures and perceptions of the other originating in this period that are operative to this day.

Your learning on this unit

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

  1. recognise and appraise the varied sources available for understanding the Hellenistic world;
  2. analyse the political and social developments of the Hellenistic world;
  3. explain the significance of the Hellenistic era for later Classical and post-Classical periods;
  4. produce written work in an academic style 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, 4].

2-hour exam (90%) [ILOs 1-4].

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. CLAS10034).

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.

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