Course Catalogue

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This course focuses on the methodology of working with so-called fragments of otherwise lost works of ancient literature. These are not papyrus fragments, but quotations of and references to earlier works by later authors who still had access to them, so-called covertexts. Reading these texts in Greek, we try to uncover how far such 'fragments' can give us an impression of the lost works and to what extent they have been manipulated by the authors who preserve them.

7x1 hour lectures & 7x1hr seminars shared with CLASSIC4087. In addition, 10 seminars focussed on reading and discussing the texts in the original Greek. This is one of the Honours options in Greek and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry in Classics, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

CLASSIC4087 Literature in Fragments

None

Translation with commentary (3000 words) - 60%

Scholarship review (1500 words) - 20%

Oral Presentation (as part of a group) - 20%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Engage with fragments of a selection of genres, e.g. historiography, biography, philosophy, oratory, comedy, and tragedy, a body of text not usually covered in Classics courses;

■ Become familiar with the standard collections of and commentaries on fragments, both in book form and online;

■ Develop a sound methodology for working with fragments, in dialogue with both traditional and very recent scholarship;

■ Read a selection of fragments in the original Greek and reflect on how we can use the language to determine the influence of the covertext.

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

■ Confidently navigate the standard collections of and commentaries on fragments, both in book form and online;

■ Analyse fragments of ancient Greek literature to determine their value as testimonia of the original work as well as integrated elements of their later covertext;

■ Develop their own analysis both in groups and individually;

■ Formulate their own analyses and arguments lucidly both orally and in writing, with due regard for scholarship.

■ Present their ideas lucidly in oral form in front of an audience of their peers and discuss them.

■ Translate a selection of fragments from Greek into English and use the style and language to inform their methodical analysis of fragments.

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