Greek Set Book
Classes
Tuesday 27 April - Tuesday 06 July 2027, 6pm-9pm
10 sessions - Check class timetable
Overview
The Greek Set Book short course gives you the chance to study Archaic and Classical Greek texts in depth under specialist tutors with active research interests in that area. You will learn to tackle complex Greek literary writing and to appreciate its artistry and ideas. Your tutors will also help you to place the set texts in their wider intellectual, social and political context. The texts we study each year change in response to student needs and preferences.
This year we will focus on Homeric epic. We will look at two books in their entirety, Iliad 24 and Odyssey 19. Iliad 24 concludes the epic and focuses on grief and reconciliation. The book is dominated by the extremely powerful, emotional scene between Priam and Achilles. We will then read book 19 of the Odyssey, a pivotal moment in the epic where the hero meets with his wife for the first time since his return and gets recognised by his old nurse. Themes of recognition, lamentation, heroism, sophrosyne, aidos, kleos etc. will be examined against the backdrop of the two books and, more broadly, Homeric epic as a whole.
The classes and coursework involve close analysis of the text from a linguistic, literary, historical and cultural point of view. You will be expected to prepare portions of the text in advance and then discuss the major issues emerging in class. The course will enable you to:
- become experienced in reading Homeric Greek in verse and become acquainted with the unique epic idiom
- understand and explore composition, metre, character creation, narratological devices, historical background, gender, heroism and the influence of Homeric epic on Greek thought and identity construction throughout the centuries
- place the epics in the context of myth, larger cultural and historical developments (e.g. the introduction of the alphabet), and archaic/Bronze Age/Iron Age culture.
Teaching on this module is stimulating, with plenty of student participation and interpretation. We will translate portions of the texts together, as well as discussing language, context and composition.
As a student on this course, you will study alongside Birkbeck students enrolled on one of our undergraduate or postgraduate courses, giving you the opportunity to network with a range of Birkbeck current students whilst you learn.
The course will be taught by Dr Dimitra Kokkini.
This course is non-credit bearing, so carries no credit points.
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements
This course is suitable for anyone interested in studying Greek, but not seeking formal qualifications in the language. It involves close study of a Classical Greek text in the original, so it requires substantial prior experience in Greek, but we are flexible with precise qualifications and experience: please contact Dr Dimitra Kokkini.
As part of the enrolment process, you may be required to submit a copy of a suitable form of ID.
International students who wish to come to the UK to study a short course can apply for a Visitor visa. Please note that it is not possible to obtain a Student visa to study a short course.
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How to apply
How to apply
You register directly onto the classes you would like to take. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis - so apply early. If you wish to take more than one short course, you can select each one separately and then register onto them together via our online application portal. There is usually no formal selection process, although some modules may have prerequisites and/or other requirements, which will be specified where relevant.