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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of History, Classics and Archaeology : Classical Literature in Translation

Undergraduate Course: Monsters, Murder and Mayhem: Biography in the Ancient World (CLTR10014)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of History, Classics and Archaeology CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaClassical Literature in Translation Other subject areaAncient History
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThis course will look at biography from the Greek world through to late antiquity in order to reconstruct the lives of prominent Greeks and Romans. We will also attempt to understand the historical circumstances under which these works were written. Authors to be studied include Xenophon, Nepos, the Gospels, Suetonius, Plutarch, and the Historia Augusta. Discussion will centre on the question of what constitutes biography, the way in which biography was used by individual authors and what it can reveal about the period in which it was composed.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed Ancient History 2a: Past and Present in the Ancient World (ANHI08014) AND Ancient History 2b: Themes and Theories in Ancient History (ANHI08013)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements It is recommended that students should have passed Ancient History 2A and Ancient History 2B, or entry is at the course organiser's discretion.
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter(at least 2 of which should be in Classical Literature) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
High Demand Course? Yes
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  27
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 13/01/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate in written examination and course work as well as in class discussion:
- an understanding of the ancient genre of biography;
- an understanding of the relationship between Greek and Latin biographical and historical writing;
- an understanding of how the writing of biography reflects the time in which it was written;
- an understanding of how these writers represented character, either fictional or real;
- an ability to use critically a variety of different methodologies and approaches to assess this body of material;
- bibliographical research skills to enable students to find independently additional information relating to the study of ancient biography.

Transferable skills: students will be able to demonstrate an ability
? to gather material independently on a given topic and organise it into a coherent data set.
? to compare differing sets of data from varying situations and draw conclusions from them.
? to evaluate different approaches to and explanations of material, and make critical choices between them.
? to express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing.
? to organise complex and lengthy sets of arguments and draw these together into a coherent conclusion.
? to organise their own learning, manage their workload and work to a timetable.


Assessment Information
Coursework - 40%;
One (2-hour) degree examination - 60%.

1st Semester-only Visiting Student (VV1) variant assessment:
Coursework - 40%;
a Subject-Area administered Exam/Exercise in lieu of the Degree Examination, to take place in Week 12 (see the current course handbook for further details) - 60%.
Special Arrangements
In order for a student from outwith Classics to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3580/2 in order for approval to be obtained.
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsAncient Biography
Contacts
Course organiserDr Sandra Bingham
Tel: (0131 6)50 6689
Email: S.Bingham@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Elaine Hutchison
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: E.Hutchison@ed.ac.uk
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