GRK30020 Greek Texts: Thucydides

Academic Year 2021/2022

Students will translate and examine selections from Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War; they will study extracts from Thucydides' work which help illuminate his views on historical writing, major themes covered across the work, and engage with aspects of his style, vocabulary and syntax, which have been the subject of commentary and criticism since antiquity.

In Spring 2022 students will engage with the Sicilian Expedition, covering selections from Books 6 and 7 of Thucydides.

PLEASE NOTE that the School of Classics reserves the right to withdraw modules in the period up to and including the first week of the teaching trimester.

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

To successfully complete this module students must demonstrate an ability to:
* accurately translate Thucydides' text from Ancient Greek into English;
* engage with, and benefit from, modern commentaries and scholarship on Thucydides;
* critically engage with modern scholarship on Thucydides and his text;
* reflect on and answer specific questions about the text and its themes;
* write an essay on an aspect of the text at an appropriate level for a level three module as outlined in the UCD grading criteria.

Indicative Module Content:

This module is focused on translating unadapted passages of Thucydides' Greek into English, comprehending the passages read, and developing the ability to comment on and analyse Thucydides' ideas. In Spring 2022 students will engage with the Sicilian Expedition, covering selections from Books 6 and 7 of Thucydides.

Throughout the trimester students will complete weekly homework assignments set by the module coordinator. These will be submitted via Brightspace. During the trimester students also will research and write an essay related to a theme covered in the passages studied in class. Where appropriate a student may agree a title with the module coordinator. This work should be submitted at the end of the trimester. Students will sit two in-class examinations. In these they will translate and comment on passages discussed in the classes leading up to the exam. If health or government guidelines preclude meeting in class, an alternative, online examination will be arranged in place of the in-class test. Written feedback will be returned to the students on all assessment through Brightspace within 20 working days in line with School policy.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18

Specified Learning Activities

58

Autonomous Student Learning

24

Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Before each class students will prepare their translations of set passages, following the reading schedule set by the module coordinator. As they read they should work to build a list of key vocabulary and flag any issues they may struggle with as they read. In class time will be devoted to translating and discussing the set text and discussing points of historical and literary interest. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Students taking this module should have at least one year's experience of reading unadapted Greek texts


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Students will be asked to translate and comment on a passage from Thucydides. Week 11 n/a Graded No

25

Class Test: Students will be asked to translate and comment on a passage from Thucydides. Week 5 n/a Graded No

25

Continuous Assessment: Homework set by the module coordinator will be submitted via Brightspace. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Essay: Students must write an essay between 1,500 and 2,000 words. The word count is inclusive of footnotes and/or in-text citations, but excludes the bibliography. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

30


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written feedback will be returned to the students on all assessment within 20 working days in line with School policy.