GRC 20100 Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Transformation of Myth

GRC 20100 Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Transformation of Myth

Dr Martin Brady

Material covered:

- Creation myths (Metamorphoses 1)

- The myth of Thebes (Metamorphoses 3-4)

- The myth of Pygmalion (Metamorphoses 10)

- The Troy myth (Metamorphoses 12-13)

Learning outcomes include:

- Know the major myths of the Metamorphoses.

- Give examples of ways in which these same myths are

re-presented in post-classical literature and art.

- Analyse the narrative techniques by which Ovid tells

stories effectively.

GRC 30120 Exile in Latin Literature

Dr Martin Brady

Material covered:

- Cicero’s letters from exile (excerpts from his private

correspondence)

- Ovid’s Tristia (“Sad Songs”) and Epistulae ex Ponto

(“Black Sea Letters”), poems written while in exile in

Dacia (modern Romania)

Learning outcomes include:

-Identify the most important themes and myths used by

Cicero and Ovid to describe their experiences.

- Evaluate the role which exile and expatriation played in

promoting cultural interaction between Romans and

provincials.

GRC 30080 The Oedipus Myth

Prof. Michael Lloyd

Material covered:

- The myth of the family of Oedipus from Homer to 400 B.C.

- Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes

- Sophocles’ Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus

- Euripides’ The Phoenician Women.

Learning outcomes include

- understanding the significance of Oedipus’ crimes.

- the role of women in Greek life.

- the relationship between the family and the state.

NB: All the plays are studied in translation.

GRC 20040 Greek Tragedy

Prof. Michael Lloyd

Material covered:

- Aeschylus’ great trilogy The Oresteia (458 B.C.),

which deals with fundamental issues of revenge,

justice, and the role of women in the state.

- Sophocles’ Electra and Euripides’ Electra

(both c. 420 B.C.), which deal with the same part

of the myth as Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers,

the central play of The Oresteia.

- Euripides’ Medea (431 B.C.).

NB: The module does not require any prior knowledge of Greek tragedy, and all the plays are studied in translation

GRC 30250 The World of Late Antiquity

Dr Alan Ross

Material covered:

- ‘Late Antiquity’: 3rd – 6th Centuries CE

- The Crisis of the 3rd Century

- The Rise of Christianity

- The Dynasty of Constantine

- The Fall of the Western Empire

- Continuity and Change in Education and Literature

Learning outcomes include:

- Describe the main events in the religious, political,

and cultural history of the Late Roman Empire.

- Compare and evaluate modern scholarly discussions

that view Late Antiquity as a period either of decline

or of transformation.

- Analyse the factors leading to the Christianization of

the Roman Empire.

GRC 20150 Cicero’s Defence Speeches

Dr Aude Doody

Material covered:

- Two murder trials in the Late Republic

- Cicero’s speeches ‘For Caelius’ and ‘For Milo’

- Oratory: the art of public speaking

- Cicero’s career

- Politics and networks of power in the Republic

- How to understand and analyse political

speeches

GRC 30240 Pliny’s Natural History

Dr Aude Doody

Material covered:

- First century encyclopedia about nature

- Book 7 of Pliny’s Natural History:

‘monstrous races’, human physiology, great

inventors, famous Romans

- Ideas about science and nature in

antiquity

- Politics of encyclopedism and empire

GRC 20010 Alexander and his Successors

Dr Philip de Souza

Material covered:

- Reign of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC)

- Successor kingdoms and Hellenistic period (323-30 BC)

- Political, social and cultural history

- Interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks

- Roman expansion into Greek world

Learning outcomes include:

- synthesize information about Hellenistic Greek history

from a range of secondary sources.

- analyze and comment critically on primary sources.

- evaluate varied historical interpretations.

- construct relevant and analytical essays in answer to

historical questions.

GRC 30070 Family Life in Ancient Greece

Dr Philip de Souza

Material covered:

- History of ancient Greek family groups (c. 800-30 BC)

- gender & status divisions in households

- marriage & adultery

- exposure & infanticide

- child-rearing & education

- old age & death

Learning outcomes include:

- assess the nature of family life in the ancient Greek world.

- synthesize information from a wide range of primary and secondary sources.

- analyze primary sources of evidence critically, place them in their historical

contexts and assess their reliability and historical value.

- compare and evaluate the arguments of modern scholars.

- construct relevant and analytical arguments in response to historical questions.

NB This module is assessed by coursework only; there is no exam

GRC 20180 Archaeology

of Athens and Attica

Dr Jo Day Material covered:

- Athenian democracy and tyranny

- Living and dying in the ancient city

- Monuments, politics and ethics

- Religious festivals

- Countryside resources

Learning outcomes include:

- Understand the development of Athens’

city centre over time.

- Recognise main monuments and understand

their relation to political, religious and

social structures.

GRC 20130 Study Tour of Greece

Dr Jo Day

Material covered:

- Visit to Greece during summer

- Acropolis & agora in Athens

- Corinth, Sparta, Epidaurus

- Delphi, Olympia

- Mycenae, Tiryns

- Byzantine sites

- Key museums

Learning outcomes include:

- Evaluate archaeological evidence

from firsthand observation.

- Communicate orally, in writing, and

with images about ancient sites.

GRC 30210 Eating and Drinking in Classical Antiquity

Dr Jo Day

Material covered:

- Feasting (symposium and convivium)

- Sacrifice and funerary foods

- Food taboos and cannibalism

- Spices, fish, olive oil, wine

- Recreate a Roman recipe

Learning outcomes include:

- Understand Classical contexts of food and

drink production and consumption.

- Combine archaeological, iconographic,

and literary evidence

- Recognise links between identity, gender,

social status and food choices

GRC 20200 Augustan Rome

Dr Alexander Thein

Material covered:

- History of events, detailing Augustus’ rise

to power and his transformation of Rome

from a Republic to a monarchy.

- Propaganda, in particular the use of coins,

art, architecture, and inscriptions.

- History of ideas, with an emphasis on the

theme of a new Augustan ‘golden age’.

- Social and cultural history, highlighting the

impact of the Augustan ‘revolution’ at all

levels of society.

Pathways: • History, Art & Archaeology

GRC 30090 Pompeii

Dr Alexander Thein

Material covered:

- Urban development of Pompeii, focusing

on selected houses and public buildings.

- Domestic space and wall painting, with an

emphasis on paintings of Greek myths.

- Social and cultural history of Pompeii,

based on the study of inscriptions and

graffiti.

- Comparative material will be drawn from

Herculaneum.

Pathways: • Art & Archaeology, History, Myth

GRC 20080 Virgil’s Aeneid

Dr. Helen Dixon (helen.dixon@ucd.ie)

Material covered:

- Virgil’s Aeneid (read in English translation)

- selected supplementary primary sources

- secondary scholarship on Virgil’s poem

Learning outcomes include:

- describe the content of Virgil's poetry.

- analyse Virgil's poetry in its literary and historical

contexts.

- appreciate the aesthetic qualities of Virgil's poetry.

- evaluate modern interpretations of the text.

GRC 30150 Using and Abusing Antiquity

Dr. Helen Dixon

Material covered:

- Virgil’s ‘Aeneis’: John Dryden’s translation of 1697

(selections)

- Ovid’s ‘Metamorphosis’: Arthur Golding’s translation of

1567 (selected myths: Cadmus, Diana & Actaeon,

Semele & Bacchus, Tiresias, Narcissus & Echo, Medea)

Learning outcomes include:

- show understanding of how Classical Antiquity was

appropriated and manipulated in later times.

- analyse later writers’ methods and strategies for using

Antiquity for their own ends.

- evaluate how aspects of Classical myth, history and

literature have contributed to the development of

Western culture.