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. This is one of the Honours options in Classics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

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

None

Essay (2,500 words) - 50%

Annotated commentary on a piece of reception (2,500 words) - 50%

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:

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

■ Enable students to identify how knowledge of these disciplines was disseminated through society in antiquity;

■ Enable students to assess the extent to which knowledge of these disciplines was applied in daily life in antiquity;

■ 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;

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

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