Ancient World Studies

This subject will introduce students to the archaeology, history, and literature of the earliest civilisations - one situated in the Nile Valley (Pharaonic Egypt), and the other in the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Mesopotamia – modern Iraq and Syria).

Neighbouring cultures in Greece, Persia, and Turkey will also be introduced. These vastly different, but interconnected societies, have stirred our imaginations for millennia, inspiring those who have shaped history, including Alexander the Great and Napoleon. They will be compared in terms of their monuments, art, mythology, epic narratives, languages, history, and social institutions. Their highly visible legacy, uncovered by generations of archaeologists and historians, will also be examined to define further the processes that developed these complex societies.

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This subject will introduce students to the awe-inspiring world of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The students will encounter the cutting-edge research of the academic staff of Classics and Archaeology in their respective fields of expertise. Students will explore the astonishing interconnectivity of the ancient world, the evolution of Greek and Roman civilizations, the close links between the ancient Near East and Greco-Roman culture, and the enduring global legacy of the Greco-Roman cultural and literary traditions.

The subject will cover topics such as the early beginnings of Greek culture and traditions (the enduring impact on Greece of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan and Mycenaean cultures), the Homeric epics, Greek and Roman mythology, ancient theatre, Greek and Roman literary and artistic culture, the development of political constitutions (democracy, oligarchy and tyranny), social history, militarism and imperialism, and identities in Greece and Rome (the representation of foreigners, women, slaves and freedmen). The subject will also consider the ways in which modern Western culture has inherited and appropriated aspects of ancient civilisation, claiming it as a model in fields ranging from epic film and architectural design to political structure and imperial aspiration.

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This subject is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Ancient Egyptian writing or language. It introduces students to the writing and grammar of Ancient Egyptian through word formation, sentence formation, transliteration and translation, and the reading of simple hieroglyphic texts.

Background information on ancient Egyptian culture is woven into the subject matter throughout the semester. The aim is for students to acquire the basic elements of the grammar, syntax, vocabulary and writing system of Ancient Egyptian, and to attain reading skills sufficient to begin reading simple literary and non-literary hieroglyphic texts. Students who successfully complete this subject may progress to Ancient Egyptian 2.

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In this subject, students consolidate the basic elements covered in Ancient Egyptian 1, and are introduced to more complex grammar and syntax, as well as some of the issues involved in interpreting an ancient language. Increasingly difficult texts are read from a variety of sources. Background information on ancient Egyptian culture is woven into the subject matter throughout the semester. By the end of the subject, students should have a sufficient grasp of the language and script to read hieroglyphic texts of moderate difficulty with vocabulary assistance. Students who successfully complete this subject may progress to Ancient Egyptian 3.

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Akkadian is one of the most important languages of all time. Spoken in ancient Babylonia and Assyria for more than 2000 years, it was used to record great works of literature; the chronicles and laws of the world’s first empires; the earliest known mathematical texts; treatises of healing, sorcery and divination; and contracts, receipts, and letters which make up our most detailed archive of everyday people’s history from antiquity.

This subject is an introduction to Akkadian grammar and the cuneiform writing system for absolute beginners. Students acquire a basic understanding of the language and its script(s). They practice comprehension and production of Akkadian, and translate a variety of simple ancient texts (including parts of the Laws of Hammurabi). Background information on the ancient Mesopotamian context in which Akkadian was spoken is woven into the subject matter.

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Akkadian is one of the most important languages of all time. Spoken in ancient Babylonia and Assyria for more than 2000 years, it was used to record great works of literature; the chronicles and laws of the world’s first empires; the earliest known mathematical texts; treatises of healing, sorcery and divination; and contracts, receipts, and letters which make up our most detailed archive of everyday people’s history from antiquity.

This subject is a continuation of the Akkadian language sequence, following directly from Akkadian 1. Students fortify their understanding of Akkadian grammar and vocabulary, master more of the cuneiform writing system, while gaining exposure to a wider range of texts, including hymnic and epic poetry, omen-series, and the chronicles of kings. They also broaden their knowledge of Mesopotamian culture and history.

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The Egyptians are one of the most captivating peoples of the ancient world, and their distinctive civilisation, which flourished in the Nile Valley from the early third millennium BCE onwards, continues to fascinate scholars and enthusiasts alike. Through a systematic survey spanning the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, as well as the Late and Ptolemaic Periods, students will be introduced to the historical and cultural achievements of dynastic Egypt.

Object-based learning is an important focus of this subject. Knowledge acquisition will be reinforced through the study and handling of authentic ancient objects in the classroom. Study of the monuments, reliefs, inscriptions, literature and material remains of the royal rulers of the period covered by the native Egyptian dynasties from about 2950-332 BCE (with the brief interruptions of foreign rule) will provide students with a unique insight into the power and authority of one the ancient world’s most enduring empires.

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This subject will focus on mythical narratives from the ancient Greek and Roman traditions. Students will explore some of the central patterns and themes in classical mythology. These include themes of birth and creation, glory and hubris, love and loss, revenge and violence, ritual, magic and monstrosity. We will engage directly with both ancient texts in translation and the material culture of the Graeco-Roman world.

Students will have opportunities to engage with the significance of mythology in the everyday lives of the Greeks and Romans, including its relationship to ideology, gender, sexuality, and natural and built landscapes. As we build our familiarity with Graeco-Roman myths over the semester, we will also question their role in contemporary society, and how their images, meanings, and ideas are both maintained and transformed over time.

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Students will receive a thorough introduction to the turbulent and exciting history of the Roman Republic roughly spanned some five centuries: from its humble beginnings around 500 BCE to the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March 44 BCE.

The first part of this subject celebrating this formative period in world history discusses early Rome, the social, political and religious institutions of the Republic as they gradually emerged from 509 to 264 BCE, and the Roman conquest of Italy and its significance.

The second part concerns the high point of the Roman Republic, approximately the period from 264 to 133 BCE, including discussions of the Punic Wars and the conquest of the Mediterranean, and its tremendous socioeconomic and political consequences for the Republic.

The third and final part deals with the Republic’s troubled last century and surveys the ill-fated Gracchan reforms; the first full-fledged breakdown of the Republican system and the Sullan reaction; the social, economic and cultural life of this period; the rise of the great dynasts; and Caesar’s temerarious attempt to establish a New Order.

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The subject covers the history of Ancient Greece from the beginning of the Archaic Period (the age of Homer) to the Hellenistic period (the age of Alexander). The main emphases will be the political, literary and cultural developments within Greek Civilisation during the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods.

The emergence of the polis, debates on political systems such as democracy, oligarchy and tyranny, the use of myths and religion, the critical interactions with non-Greeks and the resulting efflorescence of the Greek literary traditions will all be examined. Furthermore, the military history of the Archaic, Classical and post-Alexander Greek worlds, as well as the extraordinary advances in Greek science, literature and philosophy during these periods will be explored. The subject will also provide detailed presentation of modern scholarship on topics such as Greek ethnography, politics, warfare, 'colonisation', migration and acculturation.

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This subject is designed for students who have completed Ancient Egyptian 1 and 2 or the equivalent. In this subject, further work is undertaken on writing, grammar and syntax to revise, consolidate and extend students' knowledge of the language and its complex script, with the aim of enabling students to translate Egyptian hieroglyphic texts critically and independently. In particular, this subject focuses on a thorough overview of the Egyptian verbal system. Students are exposed to increasingly difficult texts (some now consisting of multiple sentences) from a variety of sources.

Background information on ancient Egyptian culture is woven into the subject matter throughout the semester. By the end of the subject, students should have a sufficient grasp of the language and script to read literary and non-literary Middle Egyptian hieroglyphic texts of moderate difficulty solely with the aid of a dictionary and reference-grammar. Students who successfully complete this subject may progress to Ancient Egyptian 4.

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This subject is designed for students who have completed Ancient Egyptian 3. In this subject, final work is undertaken on writing, grammar and syntax to revise, consolidate and complete students' knowledge of the language and its complex script, with the aim of enabling students to translate Egyptian hieroglyphic texts critically and independently. In particular, this subject focuses on a thorough overview of Egyptian participles and clauses.

Students are exposed to increasingly difficult texts (most now consisting of multiple sentences) from a variety of sources. Background information on ancient Egyptian culture is woven into the subject matter throughout the semester. By the end of the subject, students should have a sufficient grasp of the language and script to read most literary and non-literary Middle Egyptian hieroglyphic texts solely with the aid of a dictionary and reference-grammar.

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This course concentrates on the development of Rome from a small village into the center of a vast Empire, through the lens of artworks and archaeology. It examines a wide variety of themes (urbanism, public and private architecture, religion, economy) and sources of material evidence (pottery, coins etc.) to provide insight into the Roman World.

Focus will be both on the overall structures, as well as on regional variation, and we will examine various groups within Roman society, from the upper levels to the common man. Specific emphasis will be placed on a number of key sites, both in Italy (Rome, Pompeii, Ostia) and in the Roman provinces. Furthermore, we will deal with the enduring importance (and misuse) of the Roman past in modern-day society.

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What was it like actually to live in the Roman empire? How can we learn about the realities of life for ordinary Romans? How much has changed in two millennia?

This course is designed to make students aware of and deal with aspects of society and culture in the Roman empire. Generally the time period covered will be from ca. 100 BC to ca. AD 300, but some topics will necessarily go beyond this period because of the nature of the surviving testimony. Particular emphasis will be placed on ancient evidence, including inscriptions and archaeological and visual material.

Students who undertake this course are expected to have some prior knowledge of Roman history. Prof. Parkin will talk more about this in the first week, and provide some guidance to students on how to refresh their knowledge if they need to.

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The Ancient Greeks have occupied a central role in modern imaginations of the history of the western world. Building, art and political government were modelled after ancient Greek examples and the ancient Greeks played a pivotal role in the identity of the western world, at least up until World War II.

This subject aims at familiarising students with the most important archaeological sites, artefacts and artistic expressions from the ancient Greek world between the Bronze Age and Late Classical periods. Students will gain skills in analysing artefacts and built environments and learn to connect these to critical historical narratives of ancient Greece. In addition to temples, theatres, sculpture and pottery, students will be introduced to the cultural life of the ancient Greeks including literature and philosophy, the symposium, the role of women and slaves as well as daily life. Students will handle genuine archaeological artefacts, engaging in a detailed analysis of material culture housed in the University's collection.

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Artefacts (ceramics, metals, glass, coins etc.) are collected in great abundancy during archaeological fieldwork and constitute the most important source to obtain insight into the functioning and lifeways of past societies. Not only do they generally inform chronological frameworks, but they provide information on ancient trade and commerce; foodways; (cultural) identity and technological innovation.

By focusing on the main civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean (and partially drawing on the Melbourne antiquities collection), this summer-intensive is a practical subject that introduces students to the interpretation possibilities of everyday items; acquaints them with different specialist fields that engage with ancient artefacts (archaeological conservation, museums), and teaches them essential skills (such as archaeological drawing and documentation and how to make their own ceramics!).

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Is justice the guiding ideal of human action? Or a weapon the powerful use against the weak? Does democracy work, or should we leave government to experts? What is change: is the seed the same as the tree that grows from it? Is our world made up of objects and properties, or of processes and motions? These questions, and others, were subject to intense and profound investigation in the ancient Greek world. In PHIL20040, we join in this investigation alongside thinkers like Heraclitus and Parmenides, Plato and Aristotle. We will learn to interpret their works using philosophical analysis, and understand the context of their philosophy using historical and sociological analysis.

The subject is divided into three units. In Weeks 1–3, we look at the emergence of Greek philosophy in the sixth century BCE. We’ll compare intellectual professionals in the Aegean to those in other regions of Afroeurasia, and study the thought of some important Presocratic figures. In Weeks 4–7, we will undertake a study of Plato’s metaphysics, epistemology, and moral philosophy, through a careful and comprehensive reading of his Republic. In Weeks 8–12, we’ll turn to Aristotle, looking especially at his natural philosophy and theory of human behaviour in the Physics and Nicomachean Ethics.

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The remains of the Ancient World continue to intrigue. Ancient texts, art and archaeology play an important role in our society today and have done so for many centuries. The visible and invisible foundations of the sciences, the arts, architecture, political systems, urban life and economic exchange of the West are to be found in the Ancient World.

In this subject, students draw on their experiences in studying the textual and material remains of the civilisations of the Ancient World and learn to reflect critically on the role of ancient cultures and heritage in the 21st century. Students work with strategies suitable for communicating the Ancient World, and learn to address their audiences to create an impactful message through a medium of choice.

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This subject is designed to give students an understanding and knowledge of the variability of past civilisations by comparing their accomplishments and inner structures. Using a combination of texts and archaeology, it will compare the life cycle (rise and fall) of Egyptian, Near Eastern and Persian civilisations.

Students will examine cultural elements such as belief systems, daily routines, gender roles, power and authority, which will provide an insight into the distinctive worldviews that shaped each civilization. Material culture, historical documents, language and literature, will be combined to address major issues such as the social evolution of complex societies and their eventual collapse, themes which resonate in the contemporary world.

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"Do you think I am absurd enough to believe such tales?!"
—Cicero (Roman author), Tusculan Disputations

Underworld and Afterlife explores some of the many and varied ways that death is an integral part of the human experience. This subject analyses and interprets a wide selection of evidence from the ancient Mediterranean. It investigates the worlds of Egypt, Greece, and Rome through their literature, material objects, and visual art. Ranging from Egyptian sarcophagi to Greek philosophy to Roman funerary monuments, Underworld and Afterlife considers:

• What kind of afterlife is there? What does it take to reach it?
• Where is the afterlife located? How does it fit into the known universe?
• What role do gods play in the transition from life to death?
• How do people process and adapt to the death of members of their community?
• What role do the dead play in the lives of the living?

Interrogating the surviving primary sources and the most up-to-date scholarship, this subject seeks answers to the questions that have remained central to human cultures and societies throughout history.

This subject will also include a fieldtrip to Melbourne General Cemetery in Week 8.

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Alexander the Great was arguably one of the most important historical figures in Western History. He created one of the largest empires known and contributed to the spread of ancient Greek culture to areas far beyond the Classical Greek World, including today’s Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and the Balkans. His legacy went down in history as one of the most influential examples of masculinity and male virtue, including Hebrew, Arab and Medieval literature, as well as contemporary film and music.

In this subject, we examine the foundations of the Ancient Greek World that led to the rise of the small kingdom of Macedon in the Classical period (fifth-fourth centuries BCE). Students learn about the innovations to political government and religion in this period and study representative examples of art, archaeology and literature from the Age of Alexander the Great.

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At the height of its power and splendour, the mighty Roman Empire stretched from the Syrian borders to the Portuguese Atlantic and from the Sahara to the hills of Scotland, and comprised many peoples, from Germans to Greeks and Arabs, from Celts to Jews. This hotchpotch of peoples and cultures thus constituted history’s first and only Mediterranean superpower, a startling achievement lasting some four hundred years.

This subject will introduce students to imperial Rome’s social, political, cultural and religious history. First we will discuss the Julio-Claudian period (44 BCE-68 CE), including the aftermath of Caesar’s assassination and Octavian’s stunning rise to absolute power. The second part concerns the long second century (69-192 CE), the apex of Empire. Part three highlights the Severan Dynasty and the crises of the third century (193-284). Last but not least, we will scrutinize the last century of the Mediterranean Empire, from its reinvention by Diocletian to the definitive separation of West and East at the death of Theodosius I in 395 CE.

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This subject combines traditional classroom teaching and learning with hands-on fieldwork and workshop exercises to enable students to develop a working knowledge of practical archaeology and its methods within the context of modern research and archaeology in Australia and the Old World (the Near East, Mediterranean and Europe). The subject assumes no prior knowledge of archaeology. It will introduce students to some of the main fieldwork, scientific and interpretive methods involved in practical archaeology. Students will use the University's extensive classics and archaeology collection to develop their practical skills and knowledge about how we can record and interpret the past from archaeological data.

Note: The tutorials are organised according to four ‘blocks’ (each approx. 3 hours duration): surveying; fieldwork (simulated excavation); artefact analysis; and study of standing monuments.

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This subject provides an introduction to Roman law (no prior knowledge of Roman history, of Latin, or of law is required) in which legal developments are linked to the social, cultural, and historical realities of the classical period over more than a millennium. The main legal sources will be considered and the legal institutions, particularly the law of persons, will be examined in the context of their historical and social contexts. Students will deal with ancient legal sources in translation (such as Justinian’s Corpus Iuris Civilis), will gain knowledge of legal structures that have influenced modern legal systems, and will study the realities of life for the millions of people who lived under the umbrella of Roman law.

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