Overview
Examines the legend of the Trojan War from a variety of perspectives, analysing the archaeological and historical evidence, the poems of Homer, and Troy’s reception in modern culture.
Tales of Troy abounded in a variety of media throughout the Greek and Roman worlds, and they continued to be retold in literary and artistic forms from the end of the Classical period through to the present day. In this paper we consider the archaeological evidence for that famous war, the poetic and historic versions of the tale as told by Homer and others, the story of the returns, including Odysseus, and some of the numerous ways in which artists in various media have engaged with events from Trojan War from late 6th century B.C.E. until the present day.
About this paper
| Paper title | Tales of Troy: from Homer to Hollywood |
|---|---|
| Subject | Classical Studies |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2026 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,103.10 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- CLAS 345
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- classics@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Classics programme website
- Teaching staff
Staff from the Classics Programme
- Paper Structure
Four modules of six lectures each, each offering different perspectives on the historicity and influence of the story of Troy from antiquity up to modern times.
- Teaching Arrangements
Two 1-hour lectures weekly. Fortnightly tutorials.
- Textbooks
Homer. Iliad. (trans. S. Lombardo) Hackett Publishing Company, 1997
Homer. Odyssey. (trans. W. Shewring) Oxford University Press, 2008
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Information literacy, Cultural Understanding, Global Perspective, Interdisciplinary perspectives, Communication
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.- Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will be able to:
- Identify and respond to the societal and cultural context of the Homeric poems
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the cultural impact of the legend of Troy on various ages, down to the present day
- Analyse different sources of evidence (literary, archaeological, numismatic, etc.) for the Homeric period and its later reception
- Investigate scholarly controversies regarding Homer and the legend of Troy, on the basis of our extant but incomplete evidence
- Construct clear and effective written scholarly argumentation
- Assessment details
Internal Assessment 50%
Examination Assessment 50%
Overview
Examines the legend of the Trojan War from a variety of perspectives, analysing the archaeological and historical evidence, the poems of Homer, and Troy’s reception in modern culture.
Tales of Troy abounded in a variety of media throughout the Greek and Roman worlds, and they continued to be retold in literary and artistic forms from the end of the Classical period through to the present day. In this paper we consider the archaeological evidence for that famous war, the poetic and historic versions of the tale as told by Homer and others, the story of the returns, including Odysseus, and some of the numerous ways in which artists in various media have engaged with events from Trojan War from late 6th century BCE until the present day.
About this paper
| Paper title | Tales of Troy: from Homer to Hollywood |
|---|---|
| Subject | Classical Studies |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- CLAS 345
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- classics@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Classics programme website.
- Teaching staff
Associate Professor Dan Osland
- Paper Structure
Four modules of six lectures each, each offering different perspectives on the historicity and influence of the story of Troy from antiquity up to modern times.
- Teaching Arrangements
Two 1-hour lectures weekly and fortnightly tutorials.
- Textbooks
Homer. Iliad. (trans. S. Lombardo) Hackett Publishing Company, 1997.
Homer. Odyssey. (trans. W. Shewring) Oxford University Press, 2008.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Cultural understanding.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will be able to:
- Identify and respond to the societal and cultural context of the Homeric poems
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the cultural impact of the legend of Troy on various ages, down to the present day
- Analyse different sources of evidence (literary, archaeological, numismatic, etc.) for the Homeric period and its later reception
- Investigate scholarly controversies regarding Homer and the legend of Troy, on the basis of our extant but incomplete evidence
- Construct clear and effective written scholarly argumentation
- Assessment details
Internal Assessment (50%)
Examination (50%)