Modules
Text and Context: Persuasion in Ancient Greece (CLA2272)
| Staff | Dr Emma Nicholson - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 15 |
| ECTS Value | 7.5 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 2: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
The aims of this module are:
- To take a wide and diachronic approach to the investigation of persuasion and rhetoric in ancient Greece (beginning with the goddess of persuasion, Peitho, and the skill of speaking in Homer’s epics, before moving through the development of oratory in the fifth century law courts and assemblies, the use of persuasive techniques in historiography, drama and philosophy, and concluding with how rhetoric was systematised by Aristotle the 4th century BC and the effect that this had on oratory in the Hellenistic and Roman periods).
- To engage closely with a variety of authors, including Homer, Lysias, Demosthenes, Gorgias, Isocrates, Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybios, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle, Anaximenes, Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Demetrius of Phalerum.
- To investigate how the ancient Greeks used, practised and theorised persuasion and the art of speech.
- To reflect on how our own use and awareness of persuasive techniques, for example in politics, advertising and business, has been informed by these ancient traditions.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate command of key aspects of the historical development of persuasion and rhetorical practices in ancient Greece
- 2. Demonstrate critical awareness of how persuasion and rhetoric are used in a variety of ways in ancient Greece
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 3. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills which can be applied to the analysis of ancient texts from a range of time periods
- 4. Develop advanced academic and library skills specific to Classics and Ancient History as well as a critical engagement with assessing published literature
- 5. Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the ways in which the modern world has been shaped by ancient ideas and practices
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 6. Demonstrate an advanced ability to think critically and independently on a range of crucial issues and to construct an interesting and consistent argument
- 7. Demonstrate independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to engage critically and constructively with the work of others, including peers
- 8. Demonstrate an advanced ability to articulate ideas clearly, engage in public debate and respond critically to observations and objections
Syllabus plan
While the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction: Peitho, the goddess of Persuasion
- Persuasion in Homeric Epic: the Foundations of Rhetoric
- The Birth of Oratory: Speeches, Assemblies, and the Law Courts
- An Education in Persuasion: The Sophists and Rhetoric
- Persuasive History: Tradition and Authority
- Theatre and Persuasion
- Philosophical Rhetoric
- Rhetoric Systemised
- Persuasion and Rhetoric in the Hellenistic World
- Persuasion Ancient and Modern
- Review
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 2 hour lectures/seminars; student presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | 128 | Private study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion and feedback in seminars | Continuous | 1-8 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 50 | 10 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual recorded presentation | 10 | 10 minutes | 1-8 | Written and oral |
| Essay | 40 | 1500 words | 1-7 | Written and oral |
| Examination | 50 | 1 hour | 1-7 | Mark and written comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded presentation | Recorded presentation | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Essay | Essay | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination | Examination | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
The majority of ancient texts used consulted in this course will be taken from:
- Matsen, P. P., Rollinson, P. and M. Sousa (1990) Readings from Classical Rhetoric, Southern Illinois University.
The main ancient readings:
- Alcidamas, Concerning Those Who Write Written Speeches or Concerning Sophists
- Anaximenes, The Art of Rhetoric to Alexander 1421b7-1427b37
- Aristophanes, Clouds (Selections)
- Aristotle, The Art of Rhetoric, 1354a1-1405b34
- Demetrius of Phalerum, On Style (Selections)
- Demosthenes, Philippic 1
- Dionysius of Halicarnassus, On the Arrangement of Words (Selections)
- Euripides, Medea (Selections)
- Gorgias, Encomium of Helen
- Herodotus, Histories (Selections)
- Homer, The Iliad (Book 9)
- Homer, The Odyssey (Book 6)
- Isocrates, Discourses 13: Against the Sophists (Selections)
- Isocrates, Antidosis
- Lysias, Speech 24: On the Refusal of a Pension
- Plato, Gorgias (Selections)
- Plato, Phaedrus (Selections)
- Polybius, The Histories (Selections)
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (Selections)
- Xenophon, Apology of Socrates (Selections)
Modern works:
- Kennedy, G. A. (2011) A New History of Classical Rhetoric, Princeton University Press.
- Woodman, A. J. (2003) Rhetoric in Classical Historiography: Four Studies, Routledge.
- Worthington, I. (2002) Persuasion: Greek Rhetoric in Action, Routledge.
- Worthington, I. (2010) A Companion to Greek Rhetoric, John Wiley & Sons
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
01/09/2018
Last revision date
08/07/2020
Key words search
Persuasion, rhetoric, oratory, ancient Greece, historiography, literature