Modules

Year 1
Core modules:
Introduction to the Greek World examines ancient Greek history, society and thought. It will introduce you to the central themes, topics and terminology in the study of Archaic and Classical Greece, and equip you to use the basic intellectual resources available to assist that study.

Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus provides you with an introduction to Roman history and culture and Latin literature, which will also serve as a basis for your further study in these areas. You will investigate a central, transitional epoch in the history of ancient Rome, from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Language, Translation and Interpretation helps you engage with Greek and Latin texts, and introduces you to the cultural, anthropological and literary implications of translation. You will learn to assess the role of translations in the study of the classical past by looking at detailed comparisons between different translations of classical texts.

Early Greek Philosophy introduces you to the theories and beliefs of thinkers from the Greek world, active in the late Archaic and Classical periods. You will learn what answers they gave to the Big Questions: what is the world made of? What makes us human? and more.

In recent years, optional modules have included:
Beginners Latin or Greek
Lives of Objects
The Craft of the Ancient Historian.

Year 2
Core modules:
Traditions of Epic enables you to study representative examples of Greek and Roman epic, including its role as a device for recording and remembering lives and events, and you will explore the ways in which the genre developed, in ancient Greece and Rome and beyond.

In recent years, optional modules have included:
Interpreting Greek Tragedy Today
Ancient Political Thought and Action
Emperors and Dynasties
Alexandria
Classical Receptions and Contemporary Cultures
Dialogues with Antiquity
Living in the Classical World
The City of Athens
Crisis of the Roman Republic
Beginners or Intermediate Greek and/or Latin language.
Year 3 (Year 4 if taking a placement or year abroad)
Core modules:
Dissertation. The dissertation is a significant piece of work in which you research and analyse a topic in depth and write your findings and conclusions.

In recent years, optional modules have included:
Greeks and Persians (c. 560-336 BC)
The Later Roman Empire
The Origins of Civilisation
Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow
Lives and Afterlives of The Greek and Roman Poets
Sing Me, O Muse
The History of Writing in the Ancient Mediterranean
Intermediate or Advanced Greek and/or Latin language modules.

Assessment methods

We use various types of assessment, designed to test the different skills you have gained through your studies: essays, commentaries, translations, presentations, and projects.

In your final year, you will write a dissertation of up to 12,000 words on a subject of your choice, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills in independent learning and research and your ability to bring together areas of learning from across the entire course.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Extra funding

We're committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/