Master's Programme in Literature with a specialisation in Ancient Greek, 120 ECTS
This education is revoked
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Description
Within the specialization in Ancient Greek Literature you will develop advanced analytical and interpretive skills for the study of literature. You will gain a deeper understanding of Greek literature from Antiquity to the Middle Ages and learn to use advanced methods for the exploration of literary texts, both in terms of form and in terms of their relation to history, politics and ethics. The theoretical level of the courses is high; at the same time, you will develop practical skills related to analyzing and editing literary works. As a student in the Master’s Programme in Literature you will have access to a large selection of courses in Greek and in the wider Humanities. A combination of compulsory and individually chosen courses will develop your knowledge and skills in this area, forming the basis for the writing of a strong scholarly Master’s Thesis. Giving an international and transnational perspective, the Programme qualifies the students for doctoral studies in Greek and in literature, but is also useful for work outside of the university. This is especially the case in fields where there is a demand for knowledge about the significance of language for communication and social development, and which require an international outlook, historical competence and the ability to deal with complex information in a systematic and critical fashion.
Area of interests: Language and Linguistics
Languages open doors to other cultures, experiences, business contacts and collaboration between countries. At Stockholm University you can study nearly 30 different languages. You can also delve into more theoretical subjects such as Linguistics and Bilingualism. Language and Linguistics studies can lead to a large variety of professions within teaching, research and industry, the public sector, trade and tourism, and other areas.
Subject
Classical Greek
Ancient Greek is a pillar of Western civilisation. It has influenced our thought as well as our language and literature. Without realizing it we use many words deriving from Greek. Western science and philosophy are to a large extent a reflection of Greek culture. It is no coincidence that modern philosophy is sometimes described as “a series of footnotes to Plato”. The works of Homer (the oldest literary texts in European literature) and of the tragedians are considered by many to be unsurpassed in our literary canon. Many important concepts originate from Ancient Greek. For example, “democracy” comes from a Greek word and, in fact, democracy took shape for the first time in ancient Greece. It is, in short, impossible to understand modern society without some knowledge of our Greek heritage. After the introductory level, a choice of courses is offered to the student: selected books from the Homeric epics, selections from poets such as Sappho and Alcaeus, dialogues of Plato, the always relevant tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, plays of the comic poet Aristophanes, speeches from the orators such as Lysias and Demosthenes. In addition, the student reads selections from the historians Herodotus and Thucydides, from Plutarch and Stoic philosophers such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius as well as important passages from the New Testament. The summer course “Greek tragedy and comedy translated into Swedish” does not require previous knowledge of Greek and is a good complement to other studies in literature and drama.