Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module aims:
- To provide students with a critical understanding of the key debates in the study of Greek and Roman religion
- To provide students with an insight into some of the theoretical influences on classics: social anthropology, structuralism, gender theory, etc.
- To provide students with a critical understanding of the key sources of evidence that are available to classicists studying subjects related to ancient religions: a variety of ancient literary genres (history, tragedy, comedy, philosophy, epic etc.); epigraphy; archaeology.

Outline Of Syllabus

Religion was central to the lives of people in antiquity. It weaves itself through all aspects of ancient history and culture. Some aspects of Greek and Roman religion, like the names of the gods, are superficially familiar and Christianity grew up in dialogue with Greek and Roman religious thought. But many aspects of these ancient religions are alien to modern ways of thinking about the world and our place within it. This makes the study of Greek and Roman religion uniquely rewarding. It can give an unparalleled insight into how ancients conceived of their world, which by extension can allow you to look at antiquity in a new light.

In this course we will look at a wide variety of questions relating to ancient religions including: how humans sought to communicate with their gods; how Greek and Roman religion was organised; what kinds of people worshipped together and under what circumstances; how religions changed and new gods were introduced; the role of different types of religious specialists, from travelling mystics through to civic magistrates; how people thought about the afterlife; the place of religion in war and politics; and the role of religion in the family home.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, you will have developed a sound knowledge of some of the key debates in the study of Greek and Roman Religion and the importance of religious themes for the study of many other aspects of Greek and Roman social and political history.
You will have gained a critical insight into the wide array of different types of evidence needed to reconstruct ancient religions: including a variety of different genres of ancient literature (epic, history, philosophy, tragedy, comedy, etc.); epigraphic evidence; and archaeological evidence.

Intended Skill Outcomes

The module will foster a variety of transferable skills (not all of which will be directly assessed),
including: oral discussion, analytical reading of material objects and set texts, listening and notetaking, written exposition of a logically structured argument employing the appropriate primary and secondary materials, critical self-reflection, and effective time-management.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will introduce the major topics of the module and how to approach them, including close reading of primary sources. A small amount of preliminary reading will be set for each week's lectures. The lectures will also provide the knowledge and skills that will enable students to both formulate and answer their own questions.

Weekly seminars are an opportunity for students to develop their understanding dynamically, e.g. by engaging in discussion of how to go about addressing questions, the relative merits of different types of evidence or approach to the sources or by gaining clarification of any points not understood. In doing so students will develop analytical skills, oral communication skills and the ability to work as part of a team. Reading and research tasks will be set to be completed in advance of each seminar.

Two workshops will enable students to focus on essay preparation, and will offer guidance and support as students are working on their assessed work. They will also provide the opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the module contents.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The two 1,800-word essays assess the students' ability to conduct independent research on a chosen topic. They test their analytical skills and ability to discuss complex material (primary evidence and secondary literature) critically and succinctly.

The formative assessment is intended to support students in becoming acquainted with a wide range of topics and problems, and with a rich and diverse set of primary evidence and secondary material, and to provide them with prompt and tangible feedback on the progress they are making.

Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending semester 1 only are required to finish their assessment while in Newcastle. Where an exam is present, an alternative form of assessment will be set and where coursework is present, an alternative deadline will be set. Details of the alternative assessment will be provided by the module leader.

General Notes

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