Greek Literature of the 5th Century BC

This course (examined by a three-hour paper of commentaries and essays and a one-and-a-half hour paper of translation) should act as a transition between Mods and the more specialised options of Greats. It sets out to interrelate all kinds of literature of the fifth century, and to set that literature in its cultural context. It includes set texts and involves compulsory translation and comment on those texts, but candidates are also expected to have some knowledge of the period more generally. There are lecture courses which provide essential context and background, and tutors also seek to place the texts in a context: for instance, Euripides and Aristophanes need to be set in the world of the sophists and other intellectual activities of the time. Knowledge of other relevant works can be usefully deployed: for instance, candidates should be ready to bring in material as appropriate from their other options (historical, archaeological etc. as well as literary).

As for the relation between specific text-work and general questions, this is flexible. In answering questions specifically concerned with the prescribed books, candidates should obviously deal primarily with these, but should also feel free to include relevant points arising from their reading of other texts, both on the syllabus and off it. Where the question is more general, relating to the period as a whole, they should feel free to refer to any authors and texts they think relevant.

Translation and comment each account for 25% of the mark on this option, and the two essays for the remainder. (Hence c. 1 hr. should normally be spent on each of the essays, not c. 45 mins., as for the essays in most of the other literary options.) Since a candidate may (but need not) answer an essay on a specific set text, the minimum amount which must focus on more general questions is one essay, 25% of the mark. Even here, set texts will certainly be relevant, but examiners will welcome some attempt to look beyond these.

The grouping of possible topics which follow are very roughly divided, and include many overlaps (at the same time they are not exhaustive).
(a) "Literary": genre, choral lyric, theatre, rhetoric, characterisation, diction.
(b) "Intellectual": medicine, music, visual arts, literacy, knowledge of myth, the "sophistic movement".
(c) "Religious": festivals, oracles, hero cult, mystery religion, eschatology, questioning of traditional religion, sacrifice.
(d) "anthropological": gender, ethnicity, democracy, social divisions, rites of passage, inter-city relations, hellenism.
(e) "historical": Persian wars, slaves, the Athenian arche, stasis, militarism.

As noted above, those offering Second Classical Language in Greek may if they wish offer Greek Core without offering the associated translation paper, but in that case Greek Core will not count as a text-based subject. Such candidates will be given translations of the passages set for commentary