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Greek History: Problems and Sources

Module description

This module introduces the history of the Greek world from the Archaic period to the rise of Rome. It explores who the ‘Greeks’ were, and how their culture came to dominate the eastern Mediterranean and beyond, as well as exploring in depth the different forms of ancient evidence that help us to reconstruct their world. This module offers an introduction not only to the political and military history of the Greek world, from the Persian Wars to the campaigns of Alexander and the eventual conquest by Rome, but also to their economic, social, religious and intellectual life.

Module aims - intentions of the module

• To provide an introduction to Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greek history.
• To develop an understanding, through a close study of ancient evidence and modern scholarship, of the limitations of textual evidence, as well as the general themes and problems of the periods and regions covered.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate general knowledge of Greek history, from the archaic period to the end of the Hellenistic kingdoms
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge of scholarly approaches to Greek history
• 3. Demonstrate familiarity with key sources for Greek history

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant historiographical methods
• 5. Critically analyse a range of relevant ancient historical sources
• 6. Analyse the ideas and ideologies of ancient peoples

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Digest and organise diverse information into a coherent argument
• 8. Write different types of analytical reports
• 9. With guidance, conduct independent research

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• The emergence of the Greek polis
• The variety of political systems and constitutions
• The development of Athenian democracy and of the Spartan system
• The period of colonisation
• The Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars
• The development of Greek society, religion and culture
• The rise of Macedon and the crisis of classical Greece
• The conquests of Alexander and the establishment of the successor kingdoms
• The spread of Hellenism and interactions with native cultures
• The rise of Rome to Mediterranean hegemony

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative ancient texts:

• Herodotus, Histories
• Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
• Xenophon, Hellenica
• Polybius, Histories
• Diodorus Siculus, Library of History
• Plutarch, Lives
• Appian, The Foreign Wars

Examples of general introductions:

• J.K. Davies, Democracy and Classical Greece 2nd edition (London, 1993)
• Erskine (ed), A Companion to the Hellenistic World (Oxford 2003)
• S. Hornblower, The Greek World 479-323 BC 3rd edition (London, 2002)
• R. Osborne, Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC 2^nd Edition (London, 2009)
• G. Shipley, The Greek World after Alexander 323-30 BC (London, 2000)
• F.W. Walbank, The Hellenistic World 2nd edition (London, 1992)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11780 

Key words search

Classics, Greek History, Sources