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2016　Area Studies: Europe

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Academic unit or major
Humanities and social science courses
Instructor(s)
Yasumura Noriko 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Wed3-4(H101, J221, , ※すずかけ台は初回のみG111およびG115にて開講されるので注意すること。)  
Group
-
Course number
LAH.A501
Credits
1
Academic year
2016
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
2016/4/27
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

This course is to study ancient Greek civilization and literature, which have had a profound influence on later European civilization in the fields of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The earliest Greek civilization called Mycenaean flourished around 2000BC. The epic poetries began to be composed around 1700BC, and the Iliad and the Odyssey, the oldest extant epics in Europe, came into light around 800BC. These two epics not only present us with exciting heroic stories, but also give us profound insights into human life and death. We will study firstly on these two epics, and then on Herodotus, who is called “ the father of history”. The course will also cover Thales, a scientist in Ionia, who predicted the solar eclipse in Asia Minor that occurred on 28 May in 585 BC. We consider these achievements that Greek civilization had attained, and study how they are received in the present European culture.

Student learning outcomes

・Understand the general history of ancient Greek literature.
・Study the core of the ancient Greek mind expressed in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
・Think about diversity of values in the History of Herodotus.
・Study the attitudes toward nature in the Ionian scientists.
・Think about how these Greek achievements are received in the present European culture.

Keywords

Classical Greek civilization, Classical Greek literature, Homer, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Herodotus, Ionian natural scienses

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills ✔ Intercultural skills ✔ Communication skills ✔ Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

In the beginning of each lecture, the small discussion will be done on the comments which were written by the students at the previous lecture.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 The general history of Greek literature Study the general history of ancient Greek literature.
Class 2 Homer and the Trojan epic cycle Understand the story of Homer and the Trojan epic cycle.
Class 3 Life and death in the Iliad (1) Study on life and death in the Iliad (1).
Class 4 Life and death in the Iliad (2) Study on life and death in the Iliad (2).
Class 5 The adventurous stories in the Odyssey Study on the adventurous stories in the Odyssey
Class 6 The History of Herodotus Study on the Hiistory of Herodotus
Class 7 Thales, the Ionian natural scientist Study on Thales, the Ionian natural scientist
Class 8 The characteristics of ancient Greek mind, and its reception by the modern culture. Final exam

Textbook(s)

The necessary materials will be handed out in the class.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

The Iliad of Homer, The Odyssey of Homer

Assessment criteria and methods

Examination

Related courses

  • LAH.A502 ： Area Studies: East Asia
  • LAH.A503 ： Area Studies: Latin America
  • LAH.A504 ： Area Studies: Middle East and Africa
  • LAH.A505 ： Area Studies: South and Southeast Asia
  • LAH.A506 ： Area Studies: North America and Oceania
  • LAL.A441 ： Classical Greek 1
  • LAL.A442 ： Classical Greek 2
  • LAL.A443 ： Classical Greek 3
  • LAL.A444 ： Classical Greek 4

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

None

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