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Sparta and the Greek World

Module code: AH3015

Module co-ordinator: Professor Graham Shipley

In this module we will treat ancient Sparta in a wide spatial and temporal frame, avoiding the pretence of a seamless narrative—unsupportable given the incomplete evidence—by selecting key aspects from different phases of Spartan history over a long period. 

Topics covered

• Kingship and government
• Sparta’s relations with the outside world (e.g. the rest of the Peloponnese, Athens, the Greek colonial milieu, and Persia)
• Landscape change in Sparta’s territory
• Aspects of society and culture: art, literature, religion, gender etc
• The transformation of Sparta into a Roman provincial city.

Learning

• 9 two-hour seminars
• one hour of individual supervision on planning coursework

Assessment

• Presentation, 10–15 minutes (15%)
• Essay, 2,000 words (35%)
• Project, 3,000 words (50%)