classics handbook for first year ba students …...class representatives and student concerns each...

Classics Handbook for First Year BA Students

2014–201523 July 2014

NUI Galway Classics Handbook for First Year BA Students 2014-15

Contents

Classics at NUI Galway..................................................................................................3First Arts Programme....................................................................................................4

Introductory presentations .......................................................................................4Timetable: Semester 1...............................................................................................5Timetable: Semester 2...............................................................................................5

How To Do Well in Classics..........................................................................................6Engagement..............................................................................................................6Professionalism..........................................................................................................6Lectures.....................................................................................................................6Tutorials....................................................................................................................7Assessment, essays and exams....................................................................................7An Ghaeilge i nDisciplín an Léinn Chlasaicigh.........................................................7Class representatives and student concerns................................................................7Support.....................................................................................................................7

Module Descriptions......................................................................................................8CC108 Myth and Religion in the Ancient City ..................................................8CC114 Written Words and Spoken Languages in the Ancient World ...............9CC109 Rome and the Genesis of Europe..........................................................10CC1 Conversations in Classics...........................................................................11

People in Classics..........................................................................................................12List of staff..............................................................................................................12Keeping in touch.....................................................................................................13

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Classics at NUI Galway

At the centre of any study of Arts and Humanities lies the attempt to understand human nature — imagination, creativity, self-understanding and identity. One of key ways to do this is to explore our origins: the rise of civilization, the growth of literature, art, and thought, and the historical processes that have moulded our view of the world. Classics is a response to that challenge. Our course begins with the emergence of literate urban civilization from Prehistory, traces the development of the first European civilizations in the Greek states and Rome, and moves forwards towards the rise of Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, including the place of Ireland in this international process. There are three strands in this study: literature and thought, art and archaeology, languages and texts. Our first-year modules assume no prior knowledge of the subject and are designed to acquaint you with these themes through a multi-disciplinary introduction to Antiquity and its legacy. In subsequent years you will have the opportunity to orient yourself in a more specific direction, either by moving towards linguistics and beginning the study of Latin or by focussing on art and archaeology, literature and the Classical tradition. Students in both streams will also combine for core modules on literature and the history of ideas.

Some basic background reading

De Selincourt, A. tr., 1996. Herodotus, Histories. Harmondsworth: Penguin.Solodow, J. B., 2010. Latin Alive: the Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages.

Cambridge: CUP.Beard, M. & Henderson, J. 2001. Classical Art. Oxford: OUP.Price, S. & Thonemann, P., 2010. The Birth of

Classical Europe: A History from Troy to Augustine. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Wickham, C., 2009. The Inheritance of Rome. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Segal, C., 2006. Myth: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford: OUP.

Impelluso, L., 2009. Gods and Heroes in Art. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.

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First Arts Programme

Orientation Week

During the First Year Orientation Week (2–5 September) you will have an opportunity to attend introductory presentations from all Arts disciplines at NUIG, as well as sessions on study skills for university, career planning, using online resources and more. The College of Arts will schedule a finalised timetable closer to the time.Classics staff will give introductory presentations at scheduled times. These sessions can be very helpful in explaining what the course is about and will give you an opportunity to meet the staff and ask questions, so it’s a good idea to attend. We also encourage students with queries about Classics to come and visit us at any stage. (We are located on the top floor of Tower 2. Take the lift close to the Bank of Ireland on the main Arts & Sciences Building Concourse.) You can speak to our administrator, Margaret Logan, or any member of staff, and we will be glad to talk to you.

Lectures and tutorials

Once regular lectures start (from the week beginning 8 September), Classics lectures will be at the four times listed in the timetable below, supplemented by weekly small-group tutorials. These tutorials are vitally important: in lectures and through the Blackboard online system you will be notified on Blackboard of the start dates for tutorials. Be sure to join one of the tutorial groups on offer and pursue the coursework from the start.

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Timetable: Semester 1

CC108 Myth and Religion in the Ancient City• Dr O’Donoghue on the art and archaeology of ancient Greece:

Monday, 3pm, Ó Tnúthail Theatre• Prof. Clarke on Greek mythology and the origins of high literature:

Tuesday, 5pm, Ó Tnúthail TheatreCC114 Written Words and Spoken Languages in the Ancient World: Part 1

• Dr Stansbury on reading and writing in the ancient world: Wednesday, 12pm, Áras Uí Chathail UC102

CC1 Conversations in Classics• A series of presentations by different lecturers on key themes in the study of Antiquity,

including topics in current research and debate. Thursday, 12pm, Ó Tnúthail Theatre

Timetable: Semester 2

CC1 Conversations in Classics• Continuing the survey of key themes in Classical scholarship.

Monday, 3pm, Ó Tnúthail Theatre CC114 Written Words and Spoken Languages in the Ancient World: Part 2

• Dr Bisagni on the roots of European languages: Tuesday, 5pm, Ó Tnúthail Theatre

CC109 Rome and the Genesis of Europe• Dr O’Donoghue on the City of Rome from Romulus to Augustus:

Wednesday, 12pm, Áras Uí Chathail UC102 • Dr Moran on the poetry of Virgil and Roman identity:

Thursday, 12pm, Ó Tnúthail Theatre

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How To Do Well in Classics

Engagement

A university is a community dedicated to teaching, learning and research. As an adult member of that community, it is your responsibility to be an active participant in it. All students participate by attending lectures and tutorials and submitting assignments, but we hope that you get something more out of your time here. We hope that you will find the material you study stimulating and engaging, and that your course of study will help you to develop further your critical, analytical and communication skills.Even more important, we hope that if things are not clear to you, you’ll ask a lecturer or tutor. You’ll be presented with a great deal of information in first year, and this will take some time and effort to absorb, which is why you need to read and study before and after class. Working in this way will have two benefits over relying on end-of-semester cramming: 1) It will remove the stress and confusion associated with the latter, and 2) you will certainly perform a great deal better. If you’ve done the assigned work and things still aren’t clear, please be sure to keep asking until they are.

Professionalism

Arts education is preparation for entering full-time professional employment, so we expect that you use your time at university to begin training for that part of your life. You can begin by setting three goals required of professionals:

• Be on time for lectures, tutorials and meetings• Turn in assignments on time• Participate actively in lectures and discussions

It can be difficult to achieve these goals when you’re trying to balance all of the demands on your time in first year, but learning how to do this now will be important for your continued success in university and in your working life. One way to begin is to make two schedules. First make a weekly schedule at the beginning of the semester that includes all lectures and 2–3 hours of scheduled study and reading time for each class hour. Second, make a schedule of the semester with all assignments and exams marked, with plans to work ahead on them.Whenever you communicate with university staff, do so in a professional manner, whether in person or by e-mail or other correspondence. E-mail in particular should conform to the conventions of formal writing in English.

Lectures

Attendance at lectures is obligatory. Lectures provide the foundation for a module, supplemented with tutorial work, private study and preparation of assignments. If you do not attend lectures consistently, your understanding of the entire course will be greatly impaired. Lecture slides are made available to help students recall the lecture content with the aid of their notes. They do not substitute of the content of the lectures themselves.

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Tutorials

Attendance at weekly tutorials is also obligatory. Tutorials teach you how to discuss the material covered in lecture and how to frame analytical arguments in written work—both important skills for your success in college. You will be assigned to a tutorial group based on your preferences and these arrangements are co-ordinated by the Classics Administrator, Ms. Margaret Logan. Tutorial assignments are assessed for a mark that contributes to your overall result in each module.

Assessment, essays and exams

The course divides into three modules worth 5 ECTS each. Of these, ‘Myth and Religion’ and ‘Rome and the Genesis of Europe’ are each assessed principally by a written examination at end of the semester. ‘Written Words and Spoken Languages’ is taught through both semesters and is assessed by essays at the end of each semester. In addition, you will receive coursework from both lecturers and tutors. You will submit essays in hard copy and through Turnitin, the university’s anti-plagiarism system. A locked box for essay submissions is outside Room 517 on the third floor of Tower 2.

An Ghaeilge i nDisciplín an Léinn Chlasaicigh

Tá lucht na rannóige tugtha do staidéar comparáideach ar chultúir agus teangacha, rud a fhágann go dtugaimid an-tacaíocht don Ghaeilge mar staidéar inti fhéin agus mar mheán cumarsáide. Cé go ndéantar ár gcuid teagaisc trí mheán an Bhéarla amháin, beidh caoi agat Gaeilge a úsáid freisin sa ghnó laethúil nó i do chuid scríbhneoireachta. Más mian leat, beidh Michael Clarke nó Pádraic Moran an-toilteanach Gaeilge a labhairt leat.

Class representatives and student concerns

Each year students elect class representatives. If you are interested in becoming a class representative or learning more about what’s involved, please talk with any member of staff. Prof. Clarke, the First Year Co-ordinator, will liaise with class representatives. If any student wants to raise an issue, contact can be made via the class representatives or directly by talking to the lecturer in question.

Support

The First Year Co-ordinator in Classics is Prof. Michael Clarke ([email protected]; room 506, top floor, Tower 2).It is not unusual for students to experience difficulties of one sort or another during their time in university, and we strongly encourage all students to seek support should this occur. There are many services on campus dedicated to supporting students with issues of all kinds: educational, personal, financial, health, disability, etc. Please see the Student Services link below for further details, and speak to your lecturer or to the First Year Co-ordinator for advice at any stage.http://www.nuigalway.ie/student-services/

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Module Descriptions

CC108 Myth and Religion in the Ancient City Semester 1. Teaching: Clarke and O’Donoghue. 24 lectures (5 ECTS).

This module provides an introduction to the study of Antiquity by focusing on the thought and creativity of the earliest knowable Europeans in ancient Greece.

(1) Greek Mythology and the Origins of High Literature (Clarke)

These lectures are focussed on early Greek myth, especially the concept of the hero as a figure poised between men and gods, concentrating on artistic evidence from vase-painting and narrative evidence from early epic poetry. The principal sources studied are the Odyssey of Homer, and the mythological corpus as transmitted in ancient compilations like the Library of Apollodorus. We will also look at the renewal of Greek myth in later ages, including its recreation in early Irish literature.

(2) The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece (O’Donoghue)

These lectures offer an introduction to the art and archaeology of the ancient Greek city. We will explore how the physical remains—the buildings, pots, and places—of ancient Greece provides us with the visual and material references through which the ancient city can be rediscovered. We will begin our journey through examining the development of the human figure in Greek sculpture, from seemingly generic lifeless statues to natural and superhuman models that were created in the fifth century. We will then turn our attention to surveying civic and religious architecture (e.g. the Parthenon in Athens), and crucially evaluating them in the social and political contexts they were constructed. Finally, we will look at the development of vase-painting, and images of myth and everyday life in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. A number of interrelated sub-themes provide a grounding in Greek society more generally, these include: myth, gender, social development, and religion.

Required reading

Hammond, M. ed. & tr., 2002. Homer, Odyssey. London: Duckworth.Carpenter, T., 1991. Art and Myth in Ancient Greece. London: Thames & Hudson.Stewart, A., 2008. Classical Greece and the Birth of Western Art. Cambridge: CUP.Pedley, J.G., 2011. Greek Art and Archaeology. London: Pearson-Prentice Hall. Woodford, S., 1986. An Introduction to Greek Art. London: Duckworth

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CC114 Written Words and Spoken Languages in the Ancient World Both semesters. Teaching: Stansbury, Bisagni. 24 lectures (5 ECTS).

This module is an introduction to philology, the study of ancient language and literature and their transmission to us. The weekly lecture in the first semester focuses on writing systems and the history of books and texts; in the second semester we consider the rise and development of languages.

Part 1 (semster one): Reading and Writing in the Ancient World (Stansbury)

Much of what we know about ancient civilisation comes from written texts like the works of Homer and Cicero. But how were their works preserved and passed down through thousands of years? In this module we will address that question and related ones by examining the origins and development of writing and reading, as well as looking at how the texts of antiquity were transmitted to our day through manuscripts.

Required texts

Robinson, A., 2007. The Story of Writing. London: Thames & Hudson.Winsbury, R., 2009. The Roman Book. London: Duckworth.

Part 2 (semester two): The Roots of European Languages (Bisagni)

How and why do languages change over time? In this part of the module, we will explore this question by examining both modern languages and the languages of the past. Starting from modern English, we will go back in time, searching for the prehistoric ancestor of the Indo-European linguistic family, to which many of the ancient and modern languages of Europe and Asia belong, including Greek, Latin, Celtic, Germanic, and many of the great languages of India. These lectures are a general introduction to the discipline known as historical linguistics, and no prior knowledge of ancient or foreign languages is required, but students who want to pursue this side of Classics will be encouraged to move on to begin the study of one of the ancient languages in the future if they wish to do so.

Required texts

Deutscher, G., 2006. The Unfolding of Language. New York: Random House.Trask, R. L., 2010. Why Do Languages Change? Cambridge: CUP.

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CC109 Rome and the Genesis of EuropeSemester 2. Teaching: O’Donoghue and Moran 24 lectures (5 ECTS).

(1) The City of Rome from Romulus to Augustus (O’Donoghue, Wednesdays)

This part of the course will explore the art and architecture of the City of Rome. We will begin our investigation by considering the earliest foundations of Rome in the eighth century BC, before moving on to look at its expansion into a proper urban space. The changes to the city during the Roman Republic (509–27 BC) will then be examined, including topics such as town planning, water supply, and the development of Roman sculpture. The final section of the module will focus on the renewal of the city during the reign of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus. Throughout the course we will consider the social and political context in which monuments and art were commissioned, and critically how they intersect with what we know from other forms of Roman culture, such as literature and language.

Required text

Ramage, N.H. and Ramage, A., 2009. Roman Art: from Romulus to Constantine. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.

(2) Virgil and Roman Identity (Moran, Thursdays)

This module aims to provide an introduction to Latin literature for students with no prior knowledge of the subject. It will begin by exploring the centrepiece of Classical Latin literature, Virgil’s celebrated epic poem, the Aeneid. We will examine how Virgil’s work not only addressed the literary past by creating a specifically Roman counterpoint to Homer, but also responded to the political and social anarchy of his own lifetime. In doing so, we will examine why this work was regarded as a Classic, almost immediately from its publication. In the latter part of the module we will sample a different literary genre: that of satire, which the Romans claimed to have invented. We will study how first book of Horace’s Satires articulates the social values of the Roman élite.

Required texts

West, D. (tr.), 1990. Virgil. The Aeneid, a New Prose Translation. Harmondsworth: Penguin.Rudd, N. (tr.), 1987. Horace: Satires and Epistles. Persius: Satires. 3rd ed. Harmondsworth:

Penguin.

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CC1 Conversations in ClassicsBoth semesters. Various lecturers. 24 lectures.

These lectures expand upon the material taught in the three other lectures during the week. Each of the lectures focuses on a different topic presented by a different lecturer. Some of the topics are closely related to those covered in the various modules, while others relate more to the personal research and scholarship of our academic team, who will be introducing this side of their work to you. These lectures will throw a useful sidelight on the material taught more formally in the main modules, and will also enable you to learn about new discoveries and innovative scholarly research being undertaken in Classics and medieval studies.

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People in Classics

List of staff

For more information on staff members, see the Classics website at:http://www.nuigalway.ie/classics/staff/

Prof. Brian ArkinsProfessor of Classics (retired)Roman poetry; Classical themes in Renaissance and modern literaturesDr Jacopo Bisagni ([email protected])Lecturer in Classics. Room 505.Indo-European linguistics, medieval Latinity, early Irish monasticism and monastic poetryMs Mary Cairns ([email protected])TutorProf. Michael Clarke ([email protected])Established Professor of Classics. Room 506. Ancient and medieval languages, comparative mythology, Classical and medieval heroic literatureMs Aoife Dempsey ([email protected])TutorMr Dave Donnellan ([email protected])TutorDr Edward Herring ([email protected])Dean of Arts. College of Arts Office, Arts Millennium Building.Archaeology of South Italy, ethnicity in AntiquityMs Margaret Logan ([email protected])Classics Administrator. Room 508.Dr Pádraic Moran ([email protected])Lecturer in Classics. Room 510.Scholarship and education in Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, history of linguistic thought, glosses and glossariesDr Eóin O’Donoghue ([email protected])University Fellow. Room 507.Ancient Etruscan studies, Roman history, art historyDr Mark Stansbury ([email protected])Lecturer in Classics and Co-ordinating Director of the Centre for Antique, Medieval and Pre-Modern Studies (CAMPS). Room 504.Manuscript studies, medieval Latin, Insular Christian culture, transmission of Classical texts

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Keeping in touch

We are based in Tower 2 on the Arts Concourse. Walk to the northern end towards the bank, look out for the lift and stairs on the right and go up to the top floor. You should visit the department as soon as you start and get to know the place. In particular, you should introduce yourself to the Classics Administrator, Ms Margaret Logan (room 508, mornings only, 9.00 a.m.–12.30 p.m.). Other staff members are in the surrounding offices, and postgraduates are based in the Research Room (509) at the end of the corridor. Note also that from time to time printed documents such as handouts are left for collection on the long table in the department, and official notices will appear on the boards; however, the main channel of communication is via Blackboard, and you should check your emails regularly. You should, of course, get to know our web pages as well, on which all important information will be posted from week to week. http://www.nuigalway.ie/classics

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