CLAS2601: Greek Literature & the Near East

• CLAS1301 and CLAS1601

• None

• None

• To study representative texts of Greek literature from ca.
• 700 BCE to ca.
• 100 BCE (such as Homer, Iliad, Aeschylus, The Persians.
• Theocritus, Idylls) and to explore their relationship with ancient Near Eastern literature and culture.
• The course builds on knowledge of Greek literature and history acquired in the first year.

• After an introductory lecture, the course is divided into three sections.
• The first focuses on Homer's Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hesiod's Theogony and Enuma Elish
• the second on Aeschylus' Persians, Euripides' Trojan Women and Herodotus' Histories.
• the third on Theocritus, the Septuagint and Ezekiel's Exagoge.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• A knowledge of the major phases of contact between Greek and Near Eastern literature and culture; of relevant Greek as well non-Greek texts and the main interpretative approaches to them; and a knowledge of the wider issues of cultural transmission which have shaped recent scholarship in the field.

Subject-specific Skills:

• An ability to apply a variety of approaches to the study of cultural contact in the ancient Mediterranean; and to discuss patterns of interaction between Greek literature and the Near East in an informed way; an ability to grasp and express the major issues that arise when diverse and sometimes hostile cultures come into contact with one another.

Key Skills:

• An ability to engage in an informed way with a range of alien literatures and cultures; an ability to compare and assess different interpretative approaches and methodologies; a capacity to sustain a clear, well-structured and well-defended argument in written form.

• The lectures focus on the main topics covered in the course: early epic and the Near East, representations of Eastern civilisations in classical Greek texts, and multiculturalism in Hellenistic literature.
• Students will be introduced to a variety of critical approaches to the study of cultural contact.
• Seminars enable students to discuss and develop their ideas in an interactive environment.
• Tutorials provide an opportunity to give specific feedback on written work and discuss any other matters of individual interest.
• The modes of assessment ensure that students engage with the issues discussed in the course both in submitted essays (formative as well as summative) and under timed conditions.
• The examination requires students to comment on specific passages as well as answer broader questions of interpretation.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.