Course Catalogue

Writing Ancient Women (PGT) CLASSIC5132

  • 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: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course explores contemporary retellings of ancient Greek and Roman mythological and historical women in fiction and non-fiction forms.

Timetable

2 x 1 hour seminars per week, over 10 weeks

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to MSc in the College of Arts and Humanities.

Excluded Courses

Writing Ancient Women (Hons)

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Literature review (1000 words) 25%

■ Creative portfolio - piece of creative fiction or non-fiction writing retelling (2500 words) + critical reflection on process (500 words) 75%

 

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

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, 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.

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Investigate and engage closely with the literary, historical, and archaeological sources for a range of ancient mythological and historical women;

■ Investigate and engage closely with the modern fiction and non-fiction retellings of these ancient mythological and historical women.

■ Explore the practice of classical reception in fiction and non-fiction works.

■ Evaluate the practice of classical reception in fiction and non-fiction works.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

1. Analyse and evaluate the literary, historical, and archaeological sources for a range of ancient mythological and historical women.

2. Analyse and evaluate a range of modern fiction and non-fiction retellings of these ancient mythological and historical women.

3. Create their own piece of classical reception in the form of a fiction or non-fiction retelling of an ancient mythological or historical woman.

4. Formulate their own opinions regarding how the ancient sources have been received, repurposed and reimagined in fiction and non-fiction in recent years, and argue them in a lucid and scholarly manner.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions