Undergraduate Course: Ancient Literature from a Comparative Perspective (CLTR10019)

Course Outline
School	School of History, Classics and Archaeology	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate)	Availability	Available to all students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	This course aims to introduce students to the field of comparative literature, its main tenets and proponents, and its relevance to Classics. In the first year it will run as żHomer and Hesiod from a Comparative Perspectiveż, but the model can be used for other ancient texts and their comparanda in subsequent years. The first run will centre on the Homeric and Hesiodic corpora and their comparanda. Through a range of comparative material from different cultures and time periods, the course will set the canonical works of Homer and Hesiod in their wider context in terms of genre and tradition. Comparisons with South Slavic song will allow students to explore issues of orality and performance, acquainting them with the work of Parry and Lord and the importance to Homeric studies of the oral-traditional hypothesis. Students will experience South Slavic song as a performative genre through recordings. Comparisons with material from the Near East will set the genres of epic, cosmogony and wisdom against a traditional backdrop, introducing students to interactions between Greece and the Near East and the possible routes of cultural exchange. Later comparative material from Scandinavia will then bring the focus back to the issue of orality, and students will begin to distinguish between direct/indirect routes of transmission, and cultures that are separate but comparable. The course will culminate in an essay that aims to give students the freedom to choose their own independent comparative study. Classes will introduce them to methodology, to scholarship and to sample material, on which they will build independently in their chosen comparison.
Course description	Week 1 Introduction to Comparative Literature; Week 2 Orality and Performance, the Iliad and the Kosovo Cycle; Week 3 Glory and the Heavenly Kingdom, the Iliad and the Kosovo Cycle; Week 4 Heroes and Villains, the Odyssey and the Marko Cycle; Week 5 Epic and the Near East, Odysseus, Samson and Gilgamesh; Week 6 Formative presentations; Week 7 Cosmogony and the Near East: the Theogony and the Kumarbi Cycle; Week 8 Creation and Succession: the Theogony and Enűma Eliż; Week 9 Wisdom and the Near East: the Works and Days, the Counsels of Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs; Week 10 Didactic Personae: the Works and Days and Egyptian Instructions; Week 11 Attic Vikings: the Works and Days and Hávamál.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed Classical Literature 2: Greek and Roman Epic (CLTR08008)	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	A Pass in Classical Literature 2: Greek and Roman Epic (CLTR08008), is normally required; or at the discretion of the Course Organiser.
Additional Costs	c. Ł30 for set text books

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter (at least 2 of which should be in Classical Literature) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)		Quota: 28
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 11, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 50 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	One essay of 3,000 words, 45%; Contribution to Peerwise, 5%; Exam, 50%. Components of Assessment for a Visiting Student (VV1) Instance of this course (i.e. for candidates in attendance in Edinburgh in Semester 1 only): One essay of 3,000 words, 45%; Contribution to Peerwise, 5%; A subject-area administered Exam/Exercise in lieu of the Degree Examination, to take place in late November / December, 50%.
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Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)			2:00

Academic year 2015/16, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)		Quota: 0
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 11, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 50 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	One essay of 3,000 words, 45%; Contribution to Peerwise, 5%; Exam, 50%. Components of Assessment for a Visiting Student (VV1) Instance of this course (i.e. for candidates in attendance in Edinburgh in Semester 1 only): One essay of 3,000 words, 45%; Contribution to Peerwise, 5%; A subject-area administered Exam/Exercise in lieu of the Degree Examination, to take place in late November / December, 50%.
Feedback	Not entered
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes in coursework, exams, peer assessment and class discussion: - An awareness of the main tenets and proponents of the field of comparative literature, and its application to Classics; - A familiarity with a range of poetry in translation from the Greek, Slavic, Near Eastern and Scandinavian traditions; - The ability to engage critically with the Homeric and Hesiodic corpora and relevant comparative material; - An understanding of the different genres and traditions encompassed in the Homeric and Hesiodic corpora; - The ability to conduct an individual comparative study.

Reading List
Texts: George, A. (1999) The Epic of Gilgamesh, London: Penguin Larrington, C. (1996) The Poetic Edda, Oxford: Oxford Worlds Classics Mitchell, S. (2013) Homer The Odyssey, London Verity, A. (2012) Homer The Iliad, Oxford: Oxford Worlds Classics West, M.L. (2008) Hesiod Theogony and Works and Days, Oxford: Oxford Worlds Classics Comparative studies, general: Foley, J.M. (ed.) (2005) A Companion to Ancient Epic, Oxford - J.M. Foley, Analogues: Modern Oral Epics Konstan, D. and Raaflaub, K.A. (eds.) (2010) Epic and History, Sussex Lord, A.B. (1960) The Singer of Tales, Cambridge MA (the 2nd edition, of 2000, has an introduction by Stephen Mitchell and Gregory Nagy and is accompanied by an audio and video CD) Hesiod: West, M.L. (1978) Hesiod Works and Days, Oxford (introduction) West, M.L. (1966) Hesiod Theogony, Oxford (introduction) Near East: Cohen, Y. (2013) Wisdom from the Late Bronze Age, Atlanta Foley, J.M. (ed.) (2005) A Companion to Ancient Epic, Oxford - J.M. Sasson, Comparative Observations on the Near Eastern Epic Traditions - W. Burkert, Near Eastern Connections Haubold, J. (2002), Greek epic: a Near Eastern genre? Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society 48:1-19 Haubold, J. (2013) Greece and Mesopotamia: Dialogues in Literature, Cambridge Louden, B. (2011) Homerżs Odyssey and the Near East, Cambridge Penglase, C. (1994) Greek Myths and Mesopotamia, London Walcot, P. (1966) Hesiod and the Near East, Cardiff West, M.L. (1997) The East Face of Helicon, Oxford South Slavic: Bonifazi, A. and Elmer, D. F. (2012), Composing lines, performing acts: clauses, discourse acts, and melodic units in a South Slavic epic song, in E. Minchin (ed.) Orality, Literacy and Performance in the Ancient World, Leiden, pp.89-109 Foley, J.M. (2005), South Slavic Oral Epic and the Homeric Question, Acta Poetica 26.1/2:51-68 Foley, J.M. (1996), Guslar and Aoidos: Traditional Register in South Slavic and Homeric Epic. Transactions of the American Philological Association 126:11-41 Koljeviż, S. (1980) The Epic in the Making, Oxford Popoviż, T. (1988) Prince Marko: the Hero of South Slavic Epics, New York Old Norse: Larrington, C. (1991) żH am l and sources outside Scandinaviaż, Saga Book 1991:141-57 Larrington, C. (1993) A Store of Common Sense: Gnomic Theme and Wisdom in Old Icelandic and Old English Wisdom Poetry, Oxford

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills	In addition to the ILOs listed above that already contain some transferable skills, students who successfully complete the course will also gain: - an enhancement of critical skills in reading and debate through engagement with alternative approaches and ideas; - an improvement of skills in conducting research and writing essays; - an ability to work with a team; - verbal communication skills, esp. through class discussion and oral presentations/contributions.
Special Arrangements	In order for a student from outwith Classics to be enrolled on this course, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3582/0 in order for approval to be obtained.
Keywords	Ancient Literature Comparative