CLAS3551: Greeks & Persians (c 560 - 336 BC)

• CLAS1601 or one Level 1 History module.

• None

• None

• To build on students' previous work in Greek history by making a detailed study of an interesting and important topic on the basis of the ancient evidence.

• The module studies the history of the Persian Kingdom from the rise of Cyrus II (c. 560) to the beginning of the Macedonian / Greek invasion which led to the overthrow of the Persians (336), and of the contacts between the Persians and the Greeks, who particularly after the early fifth century provide most of our evidence for the Persians. This involves not only political and military history but also the cultural interaction of the Persians and the Greeks, as well as exploration of the ways in which Greek sources represent (and mis-represent) the history, culture and ideology of the Persian Empire.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• At the end of the course students should have a good knowledge and understanding of a major topic in ancient Greek and near-eastern history based on the ancient evidence and modern interpretations of it.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will have developed the skills relevant to the evaluation and deployment of textual and other forms of evidence, and of the interpretations of the evidence by modern scholars; and by studying peoples remote but not unbridgeably remote from our own world they will have enhanced their understanding of how people think and act in different circumstances, and with what results. By writing essays and commentaries and participating in seminars they will have enhanced their skills in the written and oral presentation of evidence, facts, hypotheses and arguments.

Key Skills:

• The skills required for the successful completion of the course are transferable to any field which demands critical understanding of evidence, the construction of arguments to interpret and deploy it, and an understanding of the reasons for and the results of people's actions. The course also requires the effective use of library resources, and skill in the presentation of material.

• Lectures will provide an evaluation of the literary, historical and visual evidence, and seminars will allow students to develop skills in interpretation of the evidence.
• The formative assessment will allow students to develop their skills in analysing the ancient evidence relevant to this module, and more generally to monitor their progress.

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.