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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

Subject Classical Studies
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2026 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
18 200-level CLAS, GREK, or LATN points
Restriction
CLAS 245
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Notes
May not be credited together with CLAS330 passed in 2017 or 2018.
Contact

classics@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Lecturer: Dr Chloe Borowska, and another lecturer to be advised

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

Textbooks

To be advised.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will have:

  • An understanding of the cultural influences prior to, during and immediately after the composition of the Homeric poems
  • A familiarity with the various types of literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and artistic sources for the Trojan War
  • The ability to critically evaluate these sources
  • An understanding of the scholarly interpretations, debates, and schools of thought on the Troy story and its importance to Western culture
  • High-level skills in effective written communication, including the construction of clear and logical scholarly argumentation
Assessment details

Internal Assessment 70%

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 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2026 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
18 200-level CLAS, GREK, or LATN points
Restriction
CLAS 245
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Notes
May not be credited together with CLAS330 passed in 2017 or 2018.
Contact

classics@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Lecturer: Dr Chloe Borowska, and another lecturer to be advised

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

Textbooks

To be advised.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will have:

  • An understanding of the cultural influences prior to, during and immediately after the composition of the Homeric poems
  • A familiarity with the various types of literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and artistic sources for the Trojan War
  • The ability to critically evaluate these sources
  • An understanding of the scholarly interpretations, debates, and schools of thought on the Troy story and its importance to Western culture
  • High-level skills in effective written communication, including the construction of clear and logical scholarly argumentation
Assessment details

Internal Assessment 70%

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 the Trojan War from the late 6th century BCE until the present day.

About this paper

Paper title Tales of Troy: From Homer to Hollywood
Subject Classical Studies
EFTS 0.15
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.
Prerequisite
18 200-level CLAS, GREK, or LATN points
Restriction
CLAS 245
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Notes
May not be credited together with CLAS330 passed in 2017 or 2018.
Contact

classics@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Associate Professor Dan Osland

Associate Professor Sean McConnell

Dr Davide Morassi

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.

Textbooks

To be advised.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will have:

  • An understanding of the cultural influences prior to, during and immediately after the composition of the Homeric poems
  • A familiarity with the various types of literary, epigraphic, numismatic and artistic sources for the Trojan War
  • The ability to critically evaluate these sources
  • An understanding of the scholarly interpretations, debates, and schools of thought on the Troy story and its importance to Western culture
  • High-level skills in effective written communication, including the construction of clear and logical scholarly argumentation
Assessment details

Internal Assessment 70%

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