Newcastle University

Aims

CAG1011 is open to any student who has successfully completed CAG1001 and CAG1002; CAG1012 may only be taken following successful completion of CAG1011. CAG1011 and 1012 are normally taken together, although at the Degree Programme Director's discretion it may be possible to take CAG1011 alone.

The overall aim of both modules is to allow you to engage with what Greek authors wrote in their own words, and to introduce you to the study of Greek literary texts in the original. CAG1011, taught in the first half of the year, continues the training offered in CAG1002, adding to your knowledge of classical Greek vocabulary and grammar and aiming to bring that knowledge up to a level where you can tackle original Greek texts without relying on a published translation. At the same time you will continue to practice skills of literary analysis, applied to details both of original Greek passages studied alongside their English translation, and of simpler passages which you translate for yourself.


The aims of this module are:
1. To help students develop further the linguistic and literary skills required for reading, interpreting and appreciating Greek texts in the original.
2. To introduce students to detailed study of Greek tragedy in the original language.

Outline Of Syllabus

Language work and practice in unseen translations.
study of extracts fom Euripides Medea covering both translation and language issues and literary analysis.
Further classes on literary analysis of excerpts from other Greek texts on the same basis as in CAG 1011.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures, with a large element of teacher-student interaction, are the best way to combine the imparting of (grammatical and other) knowledge with the hands-on training in linguistic and literary skills.

The four taught classes per week consolidate, and give students the opportunity to apply under guidance, the knowledge of the Greek language which they have acquired, to develop skills in reading Greek texts in the original, and further to practise the approach to analysing Greek texts which was instilled in CAG1011. In particular, in two of the four weekly sessions, these skills will be applied to in-depth study of a Greek tragedy.
In private study, students consolidate their language knowledge, further practise applying that knowledge to reading /translation of original Greek texts, and learn to use their language skills to think in analytical and constructive ways about more advanced original Greek texts (weekly tasks are set in this last respect).

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The examination tests students’ ability independently:
(i) to apply their language knowledge to the task of identifying and translating individual word forms, and to correctly translating Greek passages, in a ‘time-controlled’ environment.

(ii) to apply skills of literary analysis and background knowledge of the set text in detailed comment on a particular representative passage from that text.
The assignment is designed to assess students’ ability to apply their linguistic knowledge and analytical and problem-solving skills to more advanced original literary texts in a way that develops and tests their skills of close literary analysis