Modules
Politics Ancient and Modern (CLAM084)
| Staff | Professor Neville Morley - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 15 |
| ECTS Value | 7.5 |
| NQF Level | 7 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
The overall aims of the module are:
- To provide you with the tools and concepts to interpret ancient political thought and practice, and its modern legacy
- To understand how this history of reception in turn shapes modern historical interpretations
- To introduce you to a wide range of different ancient sources, broadening your critical understanding of what counts as 'political'
- To introduce key modern debates around political issues where ancient examples and ideas play a crucial role
- To deepen your understanding of the institutions, practices and cultures of ancient societies
- To provoke critical comparisons with contemporary political discourse
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of relevant primary material from Greece and Rome, and of a selection of relevant modern texts and debates
- 2. Demonstrate critical skills in analysing and discussing this material
- 3. Demonstrate critical understanding of key modern interpretations of ancient politics and their continuing influence
- 4. Demonstrate awareness of debates around the comparison of ancient and modern political systems
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 5. Demonstrate sophisticated critical and analytical skills which can be applied to a wider range of textual and other evidence from ancient and modern contexts
- 6. Demonstrate understanding of the influence of modern conceptions on the interpretation of the ancient world, with awareness of one's own assumptions and values
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 7. Demonstrate awareness of historical and cultural differences, and an ability to interpret the ideas and assumptions of unfamiliar societies
- 8. Demonstrate sophisticated skills in independent research and the development of research questions, and in the construction, organisation and presentation of interpretations and arguments, both written and verbal
- 9. Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a group, and to engage constructively in debate and discussion
- 10. Conduct independent research, including experience in time management
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics, which includes scope for you to focus on specific themes and case studies depending on your particular interests:
- The idea of politics and the development of political theory, ancient and modern
- Monarchy and Tyranny, from Homer to the English Civil War
- Democracy: Athens and its institutions
- The Legacy of Democracy
- Oligarchy and Republicanism: the Roman 'mixed constitution'
- The Idea of a Republic
- Key Concepts: Freedom, Law, Citizenship
- Elections, Voters, Parties and Patronage
- Politicians and Rhetoric
- Civil War, Violence and Post-Politics
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 135 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 15 | Intensive seminar and reading group activity |
| Guided Independent Study | 135 | Working independently and in groups preparing for seminars and essays |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close study of key primary and secondary texts in class, with broader discussions of issues | In-class | 1-10 | Oral feedback in class from lecturer and peers |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0 | 20 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 80 | 4000 words | 1-8,10 | Mark; written and oral comments |
| Seminar presentation (individual) | 20 | 20 minutes including discussion | 1-10 | Mark; written and oral comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-8,10 | Referral/deferral period |
| Seminar presentation (individual) | Essay (2000 words) | 1-10 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Key ancient sources: Thucydides, Ps-Xenophon, Plato (Republic), Aristophanes (Knights), Aristotle (Politics), Sophocles (Antigone), Polybius, Livy, Cicero (Republic,speeches), Q, Cicero (Commentariolum Petitionis), Tacitus, Suetonius.
- Ryan K. Balot, ed., A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)
- Yelena Baraz, A Written Republic: Cicero's philosophical politics (Princeton UP, 2012)
- Paul Cartledge, Ancient Greek Political Thought in Practice (CUP, 2009)
- Paul Cartledge, Democracy: a life (OUP, 2016)
- Joy Connolly, The State of Speech: rhetoric and political thought in ancient Rome (Princeton UP, 2007)
- Andreas Fahrmeir, Citizenship: the rise and fall of a modern concept (Yale UP, 2007)
- Margaret Malamud, Ancient Rome and Modern America (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)
- Neville Morley, Antiquity and Modernity (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)
- Robert Morstein-Marx, Mass Oratory and Political Power in the Late Roman Republic (CUP, 2004)
- Henrik Mouritsen, Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic (CUP, 2001)
- Wilfried Nippel, Ancient and Modern Democracy: two concepts of liberty? (CUP, 2016)
- Kurt A, Raaflaub, Josiah Ober & Robert W. Wallace, The Origins of Democracy in Ancient Greece (U. of California Press, 2007)
- Paul Rahe, Republics Ancient and Modern, Vols I & II (U. of North Carolina Press, 1994)
- Stephen G. Salkever, ed., Cambridge Companion to Ancient Greek Political Thought (CUP, 2009)
- Kostas Vlassopoulos, Politics: antiquity and its legacy (OUP, 2009)
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
01/01/2019
Last revision date
12/03/2019
Key words search
Classics, Ancient History, Politics