Undergraduate Course: Homer (GREE10002)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | A study of four books of Homer's Iliad, focusing on language, style, and sociohistorical contexts. |
| Course description |
This course will focus on fluency in reading Homeric Greek and on key issues in the interpretation of the Iliad, including the development of the plot, the traditional nature of the narrative, mythology, characterization and psychology, and ethical, social, and political issues.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Advanced-level ability in Ancient Greek language, equivalent to two years' study at the University of Edinburgh (if uncertain, consult the course organiser). |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Continuous Assessment (30%); degree examination (70%).
Part-Year Visiting Student (VV1) Variant Assessment:
Continuous Assessment (30%);
Subject-Area administered Exam/Exercise in lieu of Degree Examination (see the current course handbook for further details) (70%). |
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours or by appointment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate, in written examinations, in course work, and in class discussion, that they have acquired a thorough knowledge of three books of Homer in the original Greek;
- demonstrate, in written examinations, in course work, and in class discussion, that they have deepened their appreciation of the language, style, and poetic methods of Homer;
- demonstrate, in written examinations, in course work, and in class discussion, that they have developed their understanding and critical appreciation of the thought and belief-systems evidenced in the Homeric poems, as well as their awareness of the variety of modern critical approaches to Homeric epics;
- demonstrate, in written examinations, in course work, and in class discussion, the ability to develop and sustain scholarly arguments in oral and written form, by formulating appropriate questions and utilising relevant evidence;
- demonstrate, in written examinations, in course work, and in class discussion, independence of mind and initiative, intellectual integrity and maturity, and an ability to evaluate the work of others, including peers.
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Reading List
Good starting points are (a) M. Finkelberg (ed.), The Homer Encyclopedia (3 vols, Oxford/Malden MA, 2011): entries on all major topics, with further reading; (b) D. L. Cairns (ed.), Oxford Readings in Homer's Iliad (Oxford, 2001): a representative selection of classic scholarship on major themes.
Further suggestions:
Edwards, M. W., Homer, Poet of the Iliad (Baltimore, 1987)
Fowler, R. L. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Homer (Cambridge, 2004)
Griffin, J., Homer on Life and Death (Oxford, 1980)
Kirk, G. et al. (edd.), The Iliad: A Commentary (6 vols., Cambridge, 1985-93)
Morris, I. and B. Powell (edd.), A New Companion to Homer (Leiden, 1996)
Mueller, M., The Iliad (London, 1984)
Powell, B. B., Homer (Oxford/Malden MA, 2004)
Redfield, J. M., Nature and Culture in the Iliad (Chicago, 1975)
Rutherford, R., Homer (G&R New Surveys 26, Oxford, 1996)
Schein, S. L., The Mortal Hero (Berkeley and LA, 1984)
Silk, M. S., Homer: The Iliad (Cambridge, 1987)
West, M. L., The Making of the Iliad (Oxford, 2011)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
In order for a student from outwith Classics to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3580 in order for approval to be obtained. |
| Keywords | Homer |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Calum MacIver
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: Calum.Maciver@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Katherine Perry
Tel:
Email: kperry2@ed.ac.uk |
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