Topic outline
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Classical Civilisation
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In this Classical Civilisation taster course you will complete the following.
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Introduction
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Welcome to this short introduction to Classical Civilisation.
This will help to prepare you for when you start learning Classics with Gower College Swansea!
Classics is the study of ancient Greece and Rome through their art and literature. In other words, we study stories and pictures made by the ancient Greeks and Romans of mythology, heroes, gods and goddesses for what they can tell us about the thoughts and beliefs of the people who made them.
Here is a short course from the Open University that will give you an introduction to the Classical world. You will need to create an account, but don’t worry, it’s all free!
This next course is also from the Open University, and will give you an introduction to one of the topics that you will study: Homer’s Iliad.
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Video
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Video #1: Aristophanes
Aristophanes, often referred to as the Father of Comedy, wrote the world’s earliest surviving comic dramas.
They're stuffed full of parodies, songs, sexual jokes and surreal fantasy -- and they’ve shaped how comedy’s been written and performed ever since.
Mark Robinson shares a brief history of Aristophanes.
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Video #2: Oedipus Rex
Greek literature really is a fascinating cesspool of ridiculousness. Our boy Oedipus even got a mental condition named after him!
Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus (Ancient Greek: Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, pronounced [oidípoːs týrannos]), or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC.[1] Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus (Οἰδίπους), as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from another of Sophocles's plays, Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term "tyrant" referred to a ruler with no legitimate claim to rule, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation.[2][3][4]
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Video #3: The Iliad
Overly Sarcastic Productions brings us a concise, engaging and humorous summarisation of the Iliad!
The Iliad (/ˈɪliəd/;[1] Ancient Greek: Ἰλιάς, Iliás, Attic Greek pronunciation: [iː.li.ás]; sometimes referred to as the Song of Ilion or Song of Ilium) is an ancient Greek epic poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed to Homer. Usually considered to have been written down circa the 8th century BC, the Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western literature, along with the Odyssey, another epic poem attributed to Homer which tells of Odysseus's experiences after the events of the Iliad.[2] In the modern vulgate (the standard accepted version), the Iliad contains 15,693 lines, divided into 24 books; it is written in Homeric Greek, a literary amalgam of Ionic Greek and other dialects. It is usually grouped in the Epic Cycle.
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Video #4: Epic Poetry
Blue returns to drop some knowledge bombs, except in this case they're more like knowledge-Trojan-Horses than anything.
BUT HE RETURNS to discuss the form, style, and structure of Greek Epic Poetry, discuss how it relates to bards in Yugoslavia, the Bible, Herodotus and Thucydides, all the way to smooth, free-form jazz. Mmm, just listen to that sweet, velvety saxophone. *ahem. Excuse me.
Bottom line: Blue talks about more old stuff, what else is new?
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Summary
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Thank you for completing these short courses, we hope you enjoyed them! We look forward to seeing you when you join us to study Classical Civilisation with Gower College Swansea.
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Extended Reading
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If you would like to learn more about Classics then have a look at some further resources and reading below from the Open University's Openlearn website:
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Here are some videos that might interest you from GCS TV.
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