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Greek Civilisation

Code: 104212
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Ancient Studies OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Joaquin Gesti Bautista
Email :
joaquim.gesti@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Enrollment in this course requires both the knowledge and the skills that the student has acquired throughout his or her pre-university and university education.

Objectives

The course proposes an approach to the study of the main cultural and historical milestones of the Greek civilization through the texts. Special emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the intellectual and ideological innovations of the classical world, as well as its relationship with neighboring cultures.

The student will be able to recognize the relevance of the contribution of Greece to Western thought, especially in regard to history, philosophy, political ideas, jurisprudence, mythology and religion.

Learning outcomes

  1. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  2. Establishing relationships between science, philosophy, art, religion, politics, etc.
  3. Critically analyse ancient sources.
  4. Identify and assess the main cultural and civilising achievements of the Greek world.
  5. Explain the main characteristics of Greek idiosyncrasy.
  6. Describe salient features of the Greco-Roman civilisation in detail.
  7. Recognise the most significant contributions of Greco-Roman thought and civilisation to contemporary thought.
  8. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.

Contents

Program


1. Ancient Greece geographical frame


2. Main historical periods of Ancient Greece


3. Kosmos: origins and ideas about the world


4. Life cycle: birth, growth and death


5. Community life: from Mycenaean palaces to polis


6. Law and justice


7. Education:  from Homer to Socrates


8. Work: peasants, traders and craftsmen


9. War and peace


10. Games and entertainment


11. Hygiene and health

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Lectures on course topics 45 1.8 1, 3, 4
Research paper 30 1.2 1, 3, 4
Participation in commenting and reading texts 5 0.2 2, 3, 4
Tutorship and supervision of a research paper 4 0.16 1, 4
Reading bibliography and preparing course activities 60 2.4 1, 2, 3

Teaching activities:

– lectures on course topics;

– reading and interpreting a selection of texts that will be uploaded in Campus Virtual, and two literary works (a comedy by Aristophanes to be determined and On the Murder of Eratosthenes by Lysias);

– tracking activities;

– reading and commenting on specific bibliography on each course topic; 

– completing a research paper on a specific course topic.

Given that numerous scientific studies show that reading on paper improves the understanding and memorization of the contents, while facilitating critical reflection, it is strongly recommended that all the materials available on the Virtual Campus are printed and that the activities and exercises are always work on paper. The use of digital devices (tablets or computers), if the student wants to use them, will be restricted to learning activities. The use of mobile phones is not allowed in the classroom.

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Course Readings Activities 10% 1.5 0.06 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Participation in reading and commenting on texts in the classroom 10% 1.5 0.06 1, 3, 4
Exam about the topics of the course 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4
Written research essay 30% 0 0 2, 3, 4
Control exam on Greek geography 10% 1.5 0.06 2
This subject contemplates a double mode of evaluation:1) Continuous evaluation

Continuous evalutaion is a process that must allow students to know their academic progress throughout the course. The evaluation activities that will be taken into account are:
  1. Control exam on Greece geography (10%)
  2. Exam on course readings (10%)
  3. Exam on the course topics (40%)
  4. Essay on a course topic (30%)
  5. Attendance and active participation in classroom (10%)

Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.

2) Single evaluation

The single evaluation will take into account the following activities:
  1. Control exam on Greece geography (10%)
  2. Exam on course readings (10%)
  3. Exam on the course topics (40%)
  4. Essay on a course topic (30%)
  5. A text commentary on two passages included in the dossier (10%)
It is a compulsory requirement to obtain a minimum grade of 3,5 in each of the assessment activities to make a weighted average of all the grades that make up the final grade.

Plagiarism

In the event that the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instituted. In the event that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final qualification for this will be 0.Not assessableThe student will receive the grade of Non-evaluable whenever he/she has not delivered more than 30% of the assessment activities.Qualification review procedureEach time a grade is made public, the teacher will communicate the date and place of review of the assessed activity in the classroom's Moodle space.Reassessment process
  • To have the right to participate in reassessment activities, the student must have previously been assessed in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade.
  • To be able to participate in the reassessment process, the student must have obtained a minimum grade of 3.5 in the average of the subject.
  • In case of not having passed the set of activities (and if the minimum 3.5 points in the average is reached), it will be possible to recover the exam and the essay on the course topics.
 IA use

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or content-based searches. In the case of subjects in a Modern Languages degree, use of translation must be specifically

authorised by the teacher. Other specific situations may be contemplated, as deemed appropriate by the teacher. The student must clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

 

Bibliography

Alsina, Josep (1983). Comprendre la Grècia clàssica. Barcelona.

Arnason, Johann P.; Raaflaub, Kurt A.; Wagner, Peter (ed.) (2013). The Greek Polis and the Invention of Democracy. A Politico-cultural Transformation and Its Interpretations, Malden, MA-Oxford-Chichester.

Amouretti, Marie-Claire; Ruzé, François (1999). Le Monde grec antique: Des palais crétois à la conquête romaine. Paris. [Trad. cast. Madrid, 2004].

Artigas, Esther; Homar, Roser (2016). L’escena antiga. Martorell.

Austin, Michel; Vidal-Naquet, Pierre (1972). Économies et sociétés en Grèce ancienne. Paris.

Bloomer, W. Martin (ed.) (2015). A Companion to Ancient Education. Chichester.

Boardman, John (1995). Les grecs outre-mer. Colonisation et commerce archaïques. Paris.

Bourriot, Felix (1975). El trabajo en el mundo helénico. Barcelona. [Trad. cast. orig. fr. Paris, 1960].

Cantarella, Eva (2003). Ithaque. De la vengeance d'Ulysse a la naissance du droit. Paris.

Chadwick, John (1976). The Mycenaean World. Camdridge. [Trad. cast. Madrid, 1977].

Cartledge, Paul (2016). Democracy. A Life. Oxford.

Connolly, Peter (2001). The Ancient City. Life in Classical Athens and Rome. Oxford.

Corvisier, Jean-Nicolas (1999). Guerre et société dans les mondes grecques (490–322 av. J.-C.). Paris.

Dargie, Richard (2007). Ancient Greece Health and Disease. Minneapolis.

De Romilly, Jacqueline (1997). Los grandes sofistas en la Atenas de Péricles. Barcelona. [Trad. cast. orig. fr. Paris, 1988]

— (2002). La loi dans la pensée grecque. Paris.

De Souza, Philip; Hecker, Waldemar; Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd (2004). The Greeks at War from Athens to Alexander. Oxford.

Dodds, Eric R., Los griegos y lo irracional. Madrid 2019 [Trad. cast. orig.angl. Oxford 1957].

Duhoux, Yves; Morpurgo Davies, Anna (2008). A Companion to Linear B. Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World. Louvain-la-Neuve.

Faure, Paul (1973). La vie quotidienne en Crete au temps de Minos (1500 av. J-C). Paris

— (1978). La vie quotidienne des colons grecs: De la mer Noire à l'Atlantique au siècle de Pythagore, VIe siècle avant J.-C. Paris.

Finley, Mosses I. (1985a). Los griegos de la antigüedad. 6a edició, Barcelona.

— (1985b). El món d'Ulisses. Barcelona.

Flacelière, Robert (1959). La vie quotidienne en Grèce au siècle de Périclès. Paris. [Trad. cast. Ediciones Temas de Hoy, Madrid 1993].

Gagarin, Michael; Cohen, David (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Greek Law. Cambridge.

Garland, Robert (20012). The Greek Way of Death. Ithaca; New York.

Gretener, Y. (1994). La Grèce antique. Carte de la Grèce archaïque et classique d’après les textes anciens (Hérodote – Thucydide – Strabon). Marly-le-roi.

Joint Association of Classical Teachers (20082).  The World of Athens. An Introduction to Classical Athenian Culture. Cambridge. [Trad. cast. PPU, Barcelona 1988].

Lévy, Edmond (1995). La Grèce au Ve siècle. De Clisthène à Socrate. Paris.

López Melero, Raquel (20009). Así vivían en la Grecia Antigua. Madrid.

MacDowell, Douglas M. (1978). The Law in Classical Athens. London.

Marrou, Henri-Irenée (1998). Historia de la educación en la Antigüedad. México [Trad. cast. orig. fran. Paris, 19812].

Melena, José Luis (2001). Textos griegos micénicos comentados. Vitoria-Gasteiz.

McClure, Laura K. (2020). Women in Classical Antiquity: From Birth to Death. Medford, MA.

McEvedy, Colin; Woodcock, John (2002). The New Penguin Atlas of Ancient History. Londres.

Morkot, Robert (1999). Atlas de la Grèce antique. 6500 à 30 av. J.C. París.

Mossé, Claude (1971). Histoire d’une démocratie: Athènes. Paris.

— (1984). La Grèce archaïque d’Homère à Eschyle. Paris.

— (1991). Les institutions grecques. Paris.

Nestle, Walter [1944] (1975). Historia del espíritu griego desde Homero hasta Luciano. 2a edició, Barcelona

Osborne, Robin (1998). La formación de Grecia 1200–479 a.C. Barcelona.

Phillips, David J.; Pritchard, David (2003). Sport and Festival in the Ancient Greek World. Swansea.

Picazo Gurina, Marina (2008). Alguien se acordará de nosotras. Mujeres en la ciudad griega antigua. Bellaterra.

Plácido, Domingo (1993). Las claves del mundo griego. Barcelona.

Pomeroy, Sarah (1991). Diosas, rameras, esposas y esclavas. Mujeres en la Antigüedad clásica. Madrid.

Pòrtulas, Jaume; Grau, Sergi (2011). Saviesa grega arcaica. Martorell.

Raaflaub, Kurt A.; Van Wees, Hans (ed.) (2013). A Companion to Archaic Greece. Chichester,

Rawson, Beryl (2011). A Companion to Families in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Chichester.

Ruipérez, Martín S.; Melena, José Luis (1990). Los griegos micénicos. Madrid.

Schmitt Pantel, Pauline (ed.) (2002). Histoire des femmes en Occident. I. L’Antiquité. Paris.

Segura Munguía, Santiago; Cuenca Cabeza, M. (2007). El ocio en la Grecia Clásica. Bilbao.

Simon, Erika (1983). Festivals of Attica. An Archaeological Commentary. London.

Snell, Bruno (1966). Las fuentes del pensamiento europeo. Madrid.

Talbert, Richard J.A. (1985). Atlas of Classical History. Londres (r. 2008).

Vermeule, Emily (1981). Aspects of Death in Early Greek Art and Poetry. Berkeley.

Vernant, Jean-Pierre (ed.) (1999). Problèmes de la guerre en Grèce ancienne. Paris.

Vernant, Jean-Pierre et al. (1991). L’uomo greco. Roma-Bari. [Trad. cast. Madrid, 1993].

Villalba Varneda, Pere (1992). Olímpia. Jocs i esperit. Barcelona.

Vintró, Eulàlia (1973). Hipócrates y la nosología hipocrática. Barcelona.

Wilson, Peter (2007). The Greek Theatre and Festivals. Documentary Studies. Oxford.

Zurbach, Julien (2017). Les hommes, la terre et la dette en Grèce c. 1.400 – 500 a.C., I-II. Bordeaux [Scripta Antiqua 95].

Software

No specific software is required.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed