GK4124 The History of Ancient Greek from Homer to the New Testament

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Available to General Degree students with the permission of the Honours Adviser

Planned timetable

TBC

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr N Wiater

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr N Wiater

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module offers in-depth insight into the key stages of the development of the Ancient Greek Language. Beginning with its earliest stages, the epic language of Homer and the famous Nestor Cup, we will acquaint ourselves, at a basic level, with Mycenean (Linear B) Greek and Greek's relationship with Indo-European. Through an exploration of the main Greek dialects and alphabets preserved in both literary and inscriptional evidence, we will trace the process leading to the establishment of Attic as standard Greek, paying attention to linguistic-historical as well as social-cultural factors. We will then study the development of Hellenistic koine Greek and the influence of other cultures and languages on Greek, a fundamental part of this process, focusing, again, on inscriptions along with literature, which culminates in Greek classicism in Augustan Rome. The module concludes with an introduction to biblical Greek, at the threshold of pagan and Christian antiquity.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

40 CREDITS FROM GK2001, GK2002, GK2003, GK2004, INCLUDING ONE PASS AT 11 OR BETTER, OR A PASS IN GK3022, OR EVIDENCE OF EQUIVALENT LINGUISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Assessment pattern

2-hour Written Examination = 40%, Unseen test = 15%, Coursework = 45%

Re-assessment

3-hour Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 hours of lectures and seminars

Intended learning outcomes

  • Recognize and describe characteristic features of the ancient Greek language at various stages of its development from Homer to the New Testament, from a variety of different literary and non-literary genres
  • Describe and analyse the language, contents, narrative technique and style of these texts
  • Describe and analyse the influence of social, political and historical factors on the development of the ancient Greek language
  • Demonstrate expertise and advanced skills in analysing linguistically these and related texts, seen and unseen, and translating them into good English
  • Analyse, critically evaluate and discuss select pieces of published research
  • Devise sophisticated and wide-ranging, coherent arguments on important research questions related to the prescribed texts on the basis of a thorough analysis of the primary text and the critical analysis of published scholarship