Course Catalogue

The Other Greeks: Sparta, Crete, Thessaly (for postgraduates) CLASSIC5082

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

Sparta, Crete and Thessaly fascinated the ancient Greeks' imagination. They were proverbial for their oligarchic governments, their disciplined, ordered or, in the case of Thessaly, extremely disordered way of life. The course looks at what we can actually say about these societies, and explores the relationship between idealized worldviews and messy realities.

Timetable

10 x 1hour lectures per week, 10 x 1hour seminars per week over 10 weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College level

Excluded Courses

The Other Greeks: Sparta, Crete, Thessaly (Honours version)

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ 2 x (2000 word) essays- each 50%

 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

Main Assessment In: April/May

Course Aims

The course aims to:

■ study the variety of Greek culture by looking at 3 case studies all famous for their oligarchic governments

■ engage closely with a variety of primary material (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) and explore its potentials and limitations in reconstructing ancient societies

■ explore through comparison the complex relationship between institutional structures, world-view and everyday life

■ reflect on the nature, dangers, and importance of stereotypes

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ describe and analyse the main political institutions and social groups of Sparta, Crete and Thessaly

■ summarize, evaluate and criticize modern scholarly works on Sparta, Crete and Thessaly

■ critically evaluate a variety of primary evidence and situate it within its own historical context

■ produce sustained arguments about various aspects of Cretan, Spartan and Thessalian society, based on a critical evaluation of the primary and secondary sources

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions