Greek: Reading and Interpreting Sources II

Course goals

The successful student

• will be able to analyse, interpret and translate complex ancient Greek literary texts from the classical period in their cultural and historical context;
• will understand the general outlines of ancient Greek language and literature within the wider cultural context of Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies and will be able to reflect on this orally and in writing;
• will be able to independently employ the scholarly apparatus (specialised dictionaries, grammar, bibliography, databases) belonging to the field;
• will use their growing proficiency in ancient Greek for subsequent course work in the RMA programme, including research apprenticeships and the RMA-thesis.

Content

The course offers a selection of the literature of ancient Athens from the fifth c. BC, and discusses problems in interpretation. Texts will be read in their original language with parallel translations. Independent access to and understanding of the the texts is further advanced by the discussion of complex grammar (morphology and syntax) and literary language (stylistic features). Knowing Greek in depth is important for a wider understanding of the Greek world, as encounterd (by AMRS-students) in the reading of historiography and analysis of, e.g., epigraphical culture. More in general, mastering ancient Greek enables any students to distinguish the deeper layers of a culture that was fundamental for later stages in literary, philosophical and political history.


 

Additional information

As an entry requirement you must have completed the course Greek: Read and interpret sources I (GKRMV25007) succesfully.