1. Classical Studies 2015 The Odyssey Greek Society 5 th C BC Greek Drama – Tragedy

2. Course Set-up What we could have done & why we don’t Stage 1 Ancient Studies Mixture of literature and social studies –Term 1: Odyssey –Term 2: Greek Society –Term 3: Greek Tragedy

3. What relevance … To the modern world

4. The Odyssey Epic poem – what is that? One of first works of literature Relations between gods and men, men and women, heroes and their environment The importance of revenge and honour The evolving concept of hero

5. Greek Society 5th C BC Much comparison of Sparta and Athens Relationship of people to their city state (polis) and their family group (oikos) Education in both cities Roles of women, sex & marriage Class groups in each place From Persian Wars 490BC to end Peloponnesian Wars 404BC.

6. Greek Drama Origins in Dionysiac revelry Tragedy in 5 th C BC -Foundation of modern theatre -Individual vs the state -loyalty to the gods -the place of women -The faults of humans

7. Books Homer, The Odyssey, Penguin Classics edition, revised translation by DCH Rieu (not the original by EV Rieu)$11.95 Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, Penguin Classics, tr. Robert Fagles$11.95 Euripides, Medea and Other Plays, Penguin Classics, tr. Philip Vellacott$11.95

8. Assignments Nine assignments (70% of year’s mark) Essays (40%) 1 at end of each term, i.e. 13.3% each: exam conditions, questions from past exam papers Folio (30%) 2 per term: analysis reports, creative writing, narrative etc.

9. Special Study 30% of year’s mark You choose the topic Can be up to 50% in modern world Polished essay of 2,000 words Must be an argument, not a report Close contact with teacher

10. Skills Independent thinking – look at the modern world in a different way Literacy – highly polished essay skills Learn about the cradle of modern western civilisation – the Classical Age Do timeline …

11. The Holidays Read first four books of The Odyssey Consider the construction of the Epic Hero as presented in these books (Odysseus, Nestor, Menelaus, the problems of Telemachus … and Helen!) Return pumped for first lecture on Homer and Greek pre-history