Classical Culture I
Code: 100015 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2502758 Humanities | OB | 2 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Cándida Ferrero Hernández
- Email:
- Candida.Ferrero@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Oscar Luis de la Cruz Palma
Prerequisites
This course has no prerequisites.
Objectives and Contextualisation
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
- Interpret the classical culture.
- Apply the historical, institutional, cultural and literary knowledge of the Graeco-Roman civilisation to the analysis of texts.
- Analyse the process of textual transmission and the formation of the Romance languages.
- Comment passages of the main genres of classical literature, and explain their main features.
- Identify the presence of the classical tradition in European culture.
Competences
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Identifying the historical processes of contemporary culture.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing the recycling of classical motifs in new contexts.
- Applying the historical, institutional, cultural and literary knowledge to the commentary of texts.
- Assessing the reception in the West of the thought and history of the classical world.
- Communicating in a properly, organised, and suitable manner in an oral conversation or presentation.
- Criticising the film adaptations of the classical mythological legends.
- Enumerating concepts of classic culture that have survived to the present society.
- Identifying the Greco-Roman sources that have inspired artists and literary people through history.
- Identifying the results of the projection of the classical world to the Western culture on various levels and in several eras and territories.
- Interpreting the material and cultural context of transmission of ancient texts.
- Relating the contemporary myths with the classical antiquity.
- Summarising characteristics of a written text according to its communicative purposes.
Content
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION.
1.1. Geography and chronology.
1.2. What are the classics? What is tradition?
1.3. What are the classics whose transmission we are going to study?
· REQUIRED READING: Ítalo Calvino (2009), Por qué leer a los clásicos, Madrid: Siruela.
UNIT 2: THE BOOK, THE EDITORIAL MARKET AND THE ANTIQUITY LIBRARIES.
2.1. Writing supports and disciplines.
2.2. Evolution of the book.
2.3. The publishing market:
2.3.1. Writers and editorial agents.
2.3.2. The receiving public.
2.4. Archives and libraries.
· REQUIRED READING: Selection of classic texts.
UNIT 3: THE TRANSMISSION PROCESS FROM MIDDLE AGES UNTIL OUR DAYS.
3.1. The process of transmission of texts: where, how and why.
3.2. Medieval scriptoria.
3.3. Carolingian Renaissance.
3.4. Renaissance of the twelfth century.
3.5. Humanism.
3.6. The development of the printing press.
3.7. Drawing and photography.
3.8. The digital age.
· CINEFORUM: Eichinger, B. (producer) and Annaud, J-J. (director) (1986), The Name of the Rose, Germany: Co-production West Germany (RFA) -France-Italy; Constantin Film / ZDF / Cristaldifilm / Radiotelevisione Italiana / Les Films Ariane / France 3 Cinéma.
UNIT 4: THE LEGEND OF ALEXANDER.
4.1. Alexander's life.
4.2. Mythification of Alexander.
4.4. Classical sources.
4.5. Transmission and recreation of the character: the first epic hero of the west.
4.6. Alejandro today.
· CINEFORUM: Borman, M., Kilik J., Smith I., Schuely, T., Stone, O. (producers) and Stone, O. (director) (2004), Alexander the Great, United States: Warner Bros. Pictures / Intermedia Films.
UNIT 5: SPARTACUS’S REVOLT.
5.1. Historical events.
5.2. Classical testimonials of the episode.
5.3. Significance of the episode throughout history.
5.4. Spartacus today.
· REQUIRED READING: Fast, H. (2003), Spartacus, Barcelona: Edhasa. First edition: 1951
Methodology
This is an on-site course. Students are expected to work throughout its duration. Attendance to the lectures will allow the students to properly contextualise the course readings.
Commentary of the readings and cinema talks are scheduled throughout the course.
Although there will be no attendance monitoring, attending to the lectures is key to successfully complete this subject.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Analysis and debate of readings and films | 6 | 0.24 | 2, 5, 4, 9, 11 |
| Lectures | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 5, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 3 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Group work and oral presentation | 31.5 | 1.26 | 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 3 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Compulsory readings | 25 | 1 | 2, 9, 3 |
| Study and personal work | 35 | 1.4 | 2, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Supplementary readings | 11 | 0.44 | 2, 9, 3 |
| Watching of movies | 4 | 0.16 | 5, 3 |
Assessment
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Weight of assessable activities:
40%: Written test consisting of short answer and essay questions (UNITS 1 & 2). Week 8.
40%: Written test consisting of short answer and essay questions (UNITS 3, 4 & 5). Week 16.
20%: Oral presentation in group on a subject determined by the professor. Weeks 14 & 15.
IMPORTANT REMARKS
- Taking part in any assessable activity precludes the possibility of being classified as "not assessable".
- For a positive evaluation of the course, the final mark must be 5 or higher, with a rating of at least 4 in both written tests.
- In the re-evaluation process, students may retake ONE of the two written tests (if the mark is lower than 4 or if the global average is lower than 5), but they cannot retake both.
- On the first day of the oral presentations, every group must hand over an outline & bibliography of their presentation.
- Any exception to these remarks must count with the explicit approval of the professor.
- Untaken tests (due to medical emergencies justifiable with a doctor's note) will be taken during the re-evaluation period.
- In special circumstances, the possibility of improving the final mark during the re-evaluation process may be considered. It will be necessary to talk previously with the professor, since the re-evaluation tests are intended for students who need to retake one of the assessable activities (for a maximum weight of 40%).
PLAGIARISME
- In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
VIRTUAL OR HYBRID TEACHING
- In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation in group on a subject determined by the professor | 20% | 4.5 | 0.18 | 4, 7, 9, 10 |
| Written test consisting of short answer and essay questions | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 11, 3 |
| Written test consisting of short answer and essay questions | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 11, 3 |
Bibliography
GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
AGHION, I. ET AL. (1997). Guía iconográfica de los héroes y dioses de la antigüedad, Madrid: Alianza.
BEARD, M. (2013). La herencia viva de los clásicos, Barcelona: Crítica.
BEARD, M. (2016). SPQR: Una historia de la Antigua Roma, Barcelona: Crítica.
CALVINO, I. (2009). Por qué leer a los clásicos, Madrid: Siruela.
CHRISTOL, M. (1991). De los orígenes de Roma a las invasiones bárbaras, Madrid: Akal.
CODOÑER, C. (ed.) (1997). Géneros literarios latinos, Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca. Servicio de Publicaciones.
CODOÑER, C. (ed.), (1997). Historia de la literatura latina, Madrid: Cátedra.
CURTIUS, E. R. (1978). Literatura europea y edad media latina, México: Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2 vols.
FAST, H. (2003) [19511]. Espartaco, Barcelona: Edhasa.
GRIMAL, P. (2008). Diccionari de mitologia grega i romana, Barcelona: Edicions de 1984.
GRIMAL, P. (2005). Historia de Roma, Barcelona: Paidós.
GRIMAL, P. (1999) La civilización romana. Vida, costumbres, leyes, artes, Barcelona: Paidós,
HACQUARD, G. ET AL. (2000). Guía de la Roma Antigua, Madrid: Atenea.
HIGHET, G. (1954). La tradición clásica, México: Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2 vols.
HOWATSON, M. C. (1991). Diccionario de la literatura clásica, Madrid: Alianza.
JENKINS, R. (ed.) (1995). El legado de Roma. Una nueva valoración, Barcelona: Crítica.
JENKINS, R. (2015). Un paseo por la literatura de Grecia y Roma, Barcelona: Crítica.
JERPHAGNON, L. (2007). Historia de la Roma antigua, Barcelona: Edhasa. Ensayo histórico.
JONES, P. (2013). Veni, uidi, uici. Hechos, personajes y curiosidades de la antigua Roma, Barcelona: Crítica.
LANE FOX, R. (2007). Alejandro Magno. Conquistador del mundo (Maite Solana, trad.). Barcelona: El Acantilado.
LANE FOX, R. (2007). El mundo clásico. La epopeya de Grecia y Roma, Barcelona: Crítica.
ORDINE, N. (2017). Clàssics per a la vida, Barcelona: Quaderns Crema.
PALMER, L.R. (1984). Introducción al latín, Barcelona: Planeta.
REYNOLDS D. L. – WILSON, N. G. (1986). Copistas y filólogos, Madrid: Gredos.
RUZÉ, F. (2000). El mundo griego antiguo: de los palacios cretenses a la conquista romana, Madrid: Akal.
VALENTÍ FIOL, E. (1979). Sintaxi llatina. Reelaboració de P. L. Cano. Versió cat. de J. Medina, Barcelona: Curial.
VON ALBRECHT, M. (1997). Historia de la literatura romana, Barcelona: Herder. 2 vols.
WEB RESOURCES