Module description
Topic: Greek Vase Painting
The symposium (literally a ‘drinking together’) was one of the most important cultural institutions of Archaic and Classical Athens. We know about it from a variety of Greek literary texts – foremost among them, Plato’s Symposium. But what actually happened at the symposium? Just how raucous was it? And what social, political and cultural functions did it fulfil?
This interdisciplinary course combines methods from Art History, Archaeology, and Classics to explore these questions through the study of Greek Vase painting, and especially Athenian painted pottery. Black- and red-figure scenes raise fundamental questions about how images work as historical sources, and how they can be used alongside other sorts of evidence. By looking carefully at a variety of themes – and introducing students to hands-on study of ancient pottery– we will investigate the unique aspects of this material from a variety of different perspectives.
Topics will include the visual representation of gender, homosexuality, as well as the appropriation of myth, cultural identity and Dionysian intoxication; throughout, our aim will be to explore how visual materials contribute to the broader study of Greek literature, archaeology and history. We will also consider the different ways in which painted pottery is mobilized by scholars from different academic sub-disciplines. The course is designed for students from different degree programmes in the Department of Classics. All ancient texts will be provided in English translation.
Assessment details
800 word Commentary (30%) & alternative assessment to exam (TBC) (70%)
Teaching pattern
10 x 1 hour lectures and 10 x 1 hour seminar (weekly)