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2021/2022

History of Ancient Religion and Political Thought

Code: 100325 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500241 Archaeology OT 3 0
2500241 Archaeology OT 4 0
2500501 History OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Joan Oller Guzman
Email:
Joan.Oller@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

Prerequisites

No specific previous requirement is needed. However, it is recommended to have some knowledge about general History and, especially, about Ancient History and Classic Culture.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The course will focus on the analysis of religious and thought processes, as well as belief systems generated in the Middle Eastern, Egyptian, Greek and Roman worlds. In addition to addressing the elements inherent in cultic practices, religious institutions, and ideas about the afterlife, the divine realm, and the destiny, among others, of Middle Eastern states, as well as of Greeks and Romans, we will also analyze the creation of processes of logical knowledge based on scientific observation, and also other currents of thought (philosophical, geographical, ...), as well as the impact that this knowledge had in the ancient world, dealing with specific case studies.
										
											
										
											At the end of the course, the student must achieve a basic knowledge of the main cultural structures related to religion and knowledge of both the Middle Eastern and Greco-Roman world, as well as be able to analyze, process and interpret both primary and secondary sources, demonstrating a first assimilation of the basic principles of historical research methodology.

Competences

    Archaeology
  • Contextualizing and analysing historical processes.
  • Managing the main methods, techniques and analytic tools in archaeology.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • 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 ethic relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    History
  • Contextualizing the historical processes and analysing them from a critical perspective.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • 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.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the historical processes that lead to armed conflict.
  2. Analysing the key issues that allow us to address the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.
  3. Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
  4. Applying both knowledge and capacity for analysis to the resolution of problems related to the field of study.
  5. Assessing and critically solving the characteristic historiographical problems of gender history.
  6. Assessing and critically solving the historiographical problems of war studies.
  7. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  8. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network. Expertly making use of the possibilities of Internet.
  9. Carrying out oral presentations using an appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  10. Carrying out oral presentations using appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  11. Critically analysing informational speeches, especially in relation to ideology and ethnocentric and sexist bias.
  12. Describing the economic, social and political structures of the Middle Ages.
  13. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  14. Effectively expressing themselves and applying the argumentative and textual processes of formal and scientific texts.
  15. Explain the main historical events in Ancient Egypt and the Greco-Roman world.
  16. Identifying the characteristic methods of Archaeology and its relationship with the historical analysis.
  17. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  18. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  19. Identifying the specific methods of History and its relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  20. Identifying the specific methods of history and their relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  21. Interpreting historical texts in relation to archaeological contexts.
  22. Interpreting material and documentary sources.
  23. Knowing the main historiographical debates concerning the Middle Ages.
  24. Mastering and identifying the history of immediate environment.
  25. Mastering the diachronic structure of the past.
  26. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  27. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  28. Reading historical texts written in several formats.
  29. Recognising the importance of controlling the quality of the work's results and its presentation.
  30. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  31. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  32. Transmitting the results of archaeological research and clearly communicating conclusions in oral and written form to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  33. Using computing resources of the area of study of history.
  34. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  35. Using the specific interpretational and technical vocabulary of the discipline.
  36. Using the specific technical and interpretational vocabulary of the discipline.

Content

  1. Introduction to the history of religion and thought in the Ancient World.
  2. The religious phenomenon in the Eastern Semitic world.
  3. The religious phenomenon in the Western Semitic world and the Indo-European world.
  4. Religion in ancient Egypt.
  5. Religious practices in the Achaemenid Persian world.
  6. Religion in the Aegean world of the second millennium.
  7. The religious phenomenon in the Greek world: poleis, myths and cults.
  8. Other Mediterranean religious systems: Etruscan and Carthaginian.
  9. Religion in the Roman world: from its foundation to the Late Empire.
  10. Birth, consolidation and expansion of Christianity.

Methodology

The course is structured in two major blocks, Eastern World and Greco-Roman World. Methodologically, the subject will consist of classes in which the various topics raised will be addressed through the accompaniment of PWP. Theoretical explanations will always be accompanied by the commentary of historical texts and discussions / debates on the issues analyzed in the classroom. All materials treated in class will then be uploaded to the Virtual Campus. In the event that, due to force majeure, attendance is not possible, the classes in the classroom will be replaced by recordings made by the teacher and will be uploaded to the Virtual Campus.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Personal study of the subject 30 1.2 3, 6, 8, 23, 22, 21, 30
Theoretical sessions 45 1.8 2, 1, 25, 15, 17, 22, 21, 28
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring 15 0.6 27
Type: Autonomous      
Comprehensive lecture of texts and interpretation of images and archaeological documents 15 0.6 17, 16, 19, 18, 22, 21, 30, 28
Making of reviews, works and analysis about concrete subjects 45 1.8 1, 3, 8, 15, 34, 17, 22, 27, 29, 30, 35, 33

Assessment

The assessment will be carried out through the continuous monitoring throughout the subject (continuous assessment) of the cognitive and formative processes of the students, together with the realization of an evaluative exam at the end of the course.

In this sense, 3 evaluation activities are planned:

- Activity 1: will consist of the bibliographic search of 20 scientific articles on religion and religious thought in the ancient world (20%).

- Activity 2: It will consist of an analysis and critical comment on a scientific article about any of the themes developed in the subject (30%).

- Activity 3: exam to be done at the end of the course. It will consist of a question to be developed and a text or image comment. (50%).

 

The final qualification will come from the sum of the respective percentages of the various activities. You must have obtained a minimum grade of 4 in the first two activities for them to count for the final qualification. Likewise, the presence and participation in the debates in the classroom will be kept in mind. In relation to the re-evaluation, the students will be informed during the course about their characteristics. For doing the reevaluation, you must have completed at least two of the three activities throughout the course.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Bibliographic research 20% 0 0 3, 7, 8, 23, 26, 14, 13, 17, 20, 18, 22, 27, 31, 29, 32, 35, 33
Critical comment of a scientific paper 30% 0 0 11, 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 23, 12, 26, 15, 13, 10, 9, 34, 17, 16, 19, 20, 22, 27, 31, 28, 32, 36, 33
Exam 50% 0 0 11, 2, 1, 4, 6, 5, 8, 23, 12, 26, 24, 25, 15, 13, 34, 17, 18, 22, 21, 29, 30, 28, 32, 36

Bibliography

Alvar, J. (ed.), Formas de difusión de las religiones antiguas, Madrid.
Alvar, J. (ed.), Jerarquías religiosas y control social en el mundo antiguo, Valladolid.
Alvar, J., Los misterios: religiones "orientales" en el imperio romano.
Alvar, J., Heroes, semidioses y daimones, Madrid.
Beck, H. (ed.), A companion to ancient Greek government, Blackwells, Oxford.
Bermejo Barrera, X. C., Introducción a la sociología del mito griego, Akal, Madrid.
Bermejo Barrera, X. C. et al., Los orígenes de la mitología griega, Akal, Madrid.
Borgeaud, M., La Mère des Dieux : de Cybèle à la Vierge Marie, Paris.
Detienne, M., Los jardines de Adonis, Akal, Madrid.
Detienne, M., Apolo con el cuchillo en la mano, Akal Madrid.
Detienne, M., Dionisos a cielo abierto, Madrid.
Farrington, B., Ciencia y filosofía en la antigüedad, Ariel, Barcelona.
Fergushon, J., Le religioni nell'impero romano, Laterza, Roma.
Graf, F., La Magie dans l'Antiquité gréco-romaine : idéologie et pratique, Paris.
Gregory, J. (ed.), A companion to Greek Tragedy, Blackwells, Oxford.
Kallendorf, C. W. (ed.), A companion to the Classical tradition, Blackwells, Oxford.
Loraux, N., Nacido de la tierra. Mito y política en Atenas, El cuenco de plata, Buenos Aires.
Muñoz Delgado, L., Léxico de magia y religión en los papiros mágicos griegos, Madrid.
Naiden, F. S., Ancient Supplication, Oxford.
Ogden, D. (ed.), A companion to Greek Religion, Blackwells, Oxford.
Ogden, D., Magic, witchcraft and ghosts in the Greek world: A sourcebook, Oxford University Press.
Odgen, D., Greek and Roman Necromancy, Princeton University Press.
Parker, R., Miasma: pollution and purification in early Greek religion, Oxford.
Requena, M., El Emperador predestinado : los presagios de poder en época imperial romana, Madrid.
Rey, A., La ciencia en la antigüedad, Mexico.
Vidal-Naquet, P. & Vernant, P., Mito y tragedia en el mundo griego, II vols., Akal, Madrid.
Vidal-Naquet, P., El cazador negro, Akal, Madrid.
VVAA., Pouvoir des hommes, signes des dieux dans le monde antique, Besançon

Software

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