JH Classical Literature and Civilisation Modules Year 2

Second Year

  • Classical Epic

The module studies Greek and Roman epic poetry from Homer to Late Antiquity. Texts for detailed study will be chosen from a range which may include (but is not restricted to) the Homeric epics, the Homeric Hymns, the works of Apollonius, Ennius, Catullus, Virgil, Lucan, Statius, and Quintus of Smyrna. It combines new perspectives on familiar classical texts with investigation of less widely-read authors from various periods. Students will follow the development of the epic genre and explore how its literary techniques and sense of tradition adapt to radically transformed cultural, social and historical circumstances. Students will also be encouraged to draw comparisons with the epic traditions of other cultures and to engage critically with modern receptions and translations of ancient epic.

Example optional modules may include:

  • Republican and Imperial Rome (20 credits)
  • Matrons and Monsters: Women in Rome and Byzantium (20 credits)
  • Thinking Athenian (20 credits)
  • Imperial Rome (20 credits)
  • Understanding Ancient Societies (20 credits)
  • Mediterranean and European Archaeology (20 credits)
  • Greek 1,2 and 3 (20+20+20 credits)
  • Latin 1,2 and 3 (20+20+20 credits)
  • Introduction to Ancient Egyptian A+B (20+20 credits) 
  • Greek Texts (20 credits)
  • Future Skills Description

Please note these are examples of Futures Skills Modules that might be on offer:

Humanities in the Classroom

For this placement module you will be placed in schools to observe or shadow teachers in their own disciplines or in adjacent disciplines, and where possible and appropriate to deliver enrichment activities yourself or to act as mentor in those schools. You will also attend a series of lectures and workshops from visiting speakers focussing on pedagogy and curricula in their subjects, on careers and training for teachers, and on outreach and engagement activities at Universities. You will be supported within your department in small group seminars during which you will reflect on your own learning and plan for the assessment. Students can also explore education more widely, outside school settings, for example by researching educational facilities and resources in local museums, heritage sites or other cultural institutions and by participating in or observing outreach activities within their departments.

Media in Practice

This module gives you the chance to produce your own original content, learn skills and techniques that will improve what you create, and think rigorously about how media shapes our world. With lectures from a range of academic disciplines, the module asks big questions, like “How does news consumption affect voting behaviour?” and shares practical know-how, like how to conduct an interview or put in a Freedom of Information request. Through peer workshops, guided by academic leads, it also helps you to develop your own ideas and projects, from the first spark to the finished article. This module is designed to open media to all, so no prior experience is necessary.

Sustainable development Climate, Culture, Society and Policy

This is an interdisciplinary module that allows you to examine sustainability through the lens of several disciplines that fall broadly within arts, humanities and law. Examples of the topics you will examine are: sustainability and interdisciplinary research; the concept of sustainable development; climate change; sustainability and environmental justice. In examining these topics, students will also look into particular polices/initiatives to understand how sustainability is implemented in practice. The module will be delivered by academics from different disciplines which will allow you to engage in an interdisciplinary discussion with some of the mentioned topics. You will also have an opportunity to learn about sustainability initiatives at the UoB campus.

  • Professional Skills Module

This is a work placement module involving a minimum of 10 days in a work environment in the type of organisation or business sector to which students might apply following successful completion of their undergraduate programme. The module will provide students with an opportunity to develop transferable skills, including team working, problem solving and communication skills, as well as allowing the development of the ability to self-reflect on activity undertaken.

Further information on the Professional skills module