Aims

What happens after death? Is there some spirit, soul, or essence of our personalities which survives – and if so, where does it go? And will our actions during life determine our eternal fate? For thousands of years humans have grappled with a myriad of questions about existence after death, and – as in many cultures – the Ancient Greeks had plenty of different ideas. Across the semester, students will be introduced to these Ancient Greek beliefs about death and the afterlife, with a particular focus on the Underworld. Using a variety of textual and material evidence from across the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, we will explore the Underworld itself: from the journey there, to topographies and inhabitants, as well as the potential for reincarnation and even resurrection from its shadowy depths.

All materials will be studied in translation; there is no expectation or requirement that students have any knowledge of Ancient Greek or Latin.

Outline Of Syllabus

Topics studied during the semester may include:

+ Death and the Body
+ Navigating the Underworld
+ Underworld Gods
+ Underworld Inhabitants
+ Judgement
+ Reincarnation
+ Heroic katabaseis
+ Necromancy
+ Underworld anxieties
+ Reception and Reinterpretation

Texts/works studied during the semester may include:
+ Homer Iliad and Odyssey
+ Homeric Hymns
+ Hesiod Theogony
+ Presocratic Philosophy
+ Euripides Alcestis, Heracles
+ Aristophanes Frogs
+ Plato Phaedo, Republic
+ Orphic Gold Tablets
+ Epicurus Letters
+ Apollonius Argonautica
+ Diodorus Siculus Library of History

Plus a range of material and visual evidence.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures are used to introduce students to a wide range of evidence and broader ancient beliefs. The content will be supported by relevant contextual and historical information where necessary. They also model methods of interpretation and analysis, and draw attention to comparative ideas. Elements of group-work and student-teacher interaction will reinforce the delivered material.

Seminars are used to facilitate student-led discussion on a particular evidence type and pre-circulated questions in a small structured environment. It provides the opportunity for students to explore the material for themselves, drawing on weekly lectures, and to enter into a dialogue with each other on the multifaceted nature of meaning and interpretation.

Workshops are used to ensure the assessment aims are clearly articulated and understood by students ahead of their submissions, and provide focused instruction and practice in developing specific skills: structuring an argument, finding relevant bibliographical sources, referencing classical texts, etc. They also allow for student-teacher dialogue on expectations, marking criteria, and feedback.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The formative assignment provides support during the initial planning period for the final project, giving an opportunity for feedback and guidance in the critical stages of preparation.

The final project supports and encourages independent research, using lecture and seminar content as a foundation on which to build one’s own avenue of investigation in the development of creative content aimed at non-academic audiences. It provides an authentic opportunity to apply skills and knowledge learned in the module at an appropriate level of detail and understanding, while also allowing engagement with the material over a sustained period of time. It also allows students to practice ‘translating’ complex ideas into accessible formats. Training and guidance on developing educational outreach content and resources will be provided.

Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending semester 1 only are required to finish their assessment while in Newcastle. Where an exam is present, an alternative form of assessment will be set and where coursework is present, an alternative deadline will be set. Details of the alternative assessment will be provided by the module leader.