The large corpus of extant speeches from the Athenian law-courts of the 4th century BC provide us with our best set of evidence for the social, economic and even political life of ancient Greece. Students will read speeches by orators such as Lysias, Isokrates, Isaios, Demosthenes and Aischines, and explore in detail what we can learn from the individual cases being argued about Athenian society at large. Reading from the law-court speeches themselves will be supplemented with other relevant written and archaeological evidence. cases to be studied will include disputes over inheritance, marital and sexual relationships, business partnerships, and political disputes. Students will also learn about the economic structure of agriculture, mining and trade in Athens; family structure and relationships; slavery; effects of war; and other aspects of Athenian life.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the interaction between formal law, perceived social norms, social mores, and actual social behaviour in a society remote from our own.
- Handle difficult, tendentious, and fragmentary evidence, and develop skills in close reading and analysis.
- Work in groups and present material, ideas and arguments orally.
- Write analytically, argumentatively and descriptively.
Indicative Assessment
Tutorial participation (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
In-class exercises (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
Group presentation and written notes (2 pp) (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
Essay (3,000 words) (30%) [LO 1, 2, 3, 5]
One three-hour exam in the examination period (40%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course consists of one 1–hour lecture, one 2–hour tutorial, and seven hours of associated study time per week.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Christopher Carey, Trials from classical Athens (2nd ed.: London/New York, Routledge, 2012)
Preliminary Reading
M. Gagarin, D. Cohen (eds.), The Cambridge companion to ancient Greek law (Cambridge, CUP, 2005)
A. Lanni, Law and justice in the courts of classical Athens (Cambridge, CUP, 2006)
M.R. Christ, The bad citizen in classical Athens (Cambridge, CUP, 2006)
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3232 | 20 Jul 2015 | 07 Aug 2015 | 31 Aug 2015 | 30 Oct 2015 | In Person | N/A |
