Course Catalogue

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This course surveys ideas about the heavens in the ancient Mediterranean (e.g. Greece, Rome, Egypt, Babylon) and explores the development of the disciplines of astronomy, astrology and meteorology in both theory and practice.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus.

Standard Entry to Masters at College level

Stargazing: Astronomy, Astrology and Meteorology in Antiquity (Hons)

None

Essay (3,000 words) - 50%

Annotated commentary on a piece of reception (3,000 words) - 50%

This course aims to:

■ Become acquainted with Greek and Roman technical writing in respect of the disciplines of astronomy, astrology, and meteorology, and of individual texts in particular;

■ Identify how knowledge of these disciplines was disseminated through society in antiquity;

■ Assess the extent to which knowledge of these disciplines was applied in ancient daily life in antiquity;

■ Engage closely with the literary, cultural and social contexts of Greek and Roman technical writing in respect of these disciplines, and of individual texts in particular;

■ Explore the reception of these ideas in later historical periods, societies, and cultures, and in individual works in particular.

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

■ Identify Greek and Roman technical writing and individual texts;

■ Place these works in their literary, cultural and social contexts;

■ Make valid connections and comparisons between academic and theoretical knowledge espoused in ancient Greek and Roman technical writing, and the practical knowledge attested by ancient Greek and Roman material culture;

■ Explain the relationship between ancient scientific theory and practice in reference to astronomy, astrology, and meteorology;

■ Formulate their own interpretations of the sources and evidence, and present and argue them in a lucid and scholarly manner;

■ Evaluate the reception of these ideas in later historical periods, societies, and cultures, and in individual works in particular, and analyse the contributions of these ideas to astronomy, astrology, and meteorology in modern and contemporary society and culture and the extent of their influence.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.