An examination of 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.
| Paper title | Tales of Troy: From Homer to Hollywood |
|---|---|
| Paper code | CLAS345 |
| Subject | Classical Studies |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $955.05 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level CLAS, GREK, or LATN points
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- May not be credited together with CLAS330 passed in 2017 or 2018.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the Classics Programme website
- Teaching staff
Paper Co-ordinator: to be confirmed.
Lecturers: staff from 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.
Internal Assessment 70%
- 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
