Classics Summer School 2012
The Classics Summer School is a chance for anyone to learn a little more about the ancient world by taking some informal courses over the summer. Classes are small, relaxed and fun, and anyone is welcome to take part. Participants typically include the general public, high school teachers, secondary/tertiary students and many others. Classes take place at Melbourne University, using university facilities and academic staff.
Four courses are on offer this year:
- Cities of the Greek and Roman World
- Aristotle's Human Flourishing Project
- Love and Relationships in Ancient Greece
- An Introduction to Classical Mythology
Venue
All sessions take place at The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus in the Architecture Building, Building 133, First Floor, Room 103. Find the Architecture Building on the campus map.
Registration Form
- Summer School 2012 Word registration form (85kb Word doc)
- Summer School 2012 pdf registration form (30kb pdf)
For further information please contact:
Dr Christopher Gribbin
The School of Historical and Philosophical Studies
John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010
T: (+61 3) 8344 5142
E: cgribbin@unimelb.edu.au
Cities of the Greek and Roman World
with Dr Christopher Gribbin
This course looks at the architecture and art of the Greek and Roman world by exploring a number of the most famous and fascinating archaeological sites. Ideal for people wanting to understand the development of architecture and art from Classical Greece to Christian Rome, for people wanting to know a bit more about life in antiquity or for the armchair traveller.
- Session 1: Athens at the Height of its Power and Glory
- Session 2: The Hellenistic Cities of Asia Minor – Miletus, Pergamum and Priene
- Session 3: The Beauty of Pompeii
- Session 4: The Ostentation of Rome in the 1st Century AD
- Session 5: Christian Rome and Beyond
Timetable:
5 x 1hr sessions
9 - 13 January 2012
10.00 - 11.00 am
$120 full, $95 concession
Aristotle's Human Flourishing Project
with Dr Christopher Gribbin
What's the best way to live our lives? Should we be generous or just worry about ourselves? What will make us happy? What will give us a sense of fulfilment? Questions like these were as important to the ancient Greeks as they are to us today and were just as heavily debated. Aristotle provided a powerful answer to these and other questions through his vision of the ideal life. In recent decades, Aristotle's views have gained increasing popularity, with his ideas appearing in discussions of topics ranging from personal ethics to international development. This course examines Aristotle's vision along with the modern research and thinking which continue his tradition.
- Session 1: The Purpose of Life
- Session 2: How to Be and How to Act
- Session 3: Relationships
- Session 4: Companies and Governments
- Session 5: The Good Life – Money, Work, Leisure, Contemplation and Purpose
Timetable:
5 x 1hr sessions
9 - 13 January 2012
11.30 am - 12.30 pm
$120 full, $95 concession
Love and Relationships in Ancient Greece
with Dr Christopher Gribbin
This course will explore how the Greeks thought about love and relationships. It looks at these themes in poetry, theatre, philosophy and art. We will explore a number of authors, including the female poet Sappho, to understand the variety and complexity of ancient attitudes. By looking at how the theme is presented in different types of literature, we also explore the differences between these genres.
- Session 1: Introduction: Greek Ideas and Modern Ideas
- Session 2: The Poets: Homer, Sappho and Others
- Session 3: Tragedies and Comedies: Euripides and Aristophanes
- Session 4: The Philosophers: Plato's Symposium and Aristotle
- Session 5: The Legacy of Greece to Rome: Lucretius and Catullus
Timetable:
5 x 1hr sessions
9 - 13 January 2012
1.30 – 2.30 pm
$120 full, $95 concession
An Introduction to Classical Mythology
with Dr Christopher Gribbin
This course will explore and try to understand some of the most important and interesting myths of the Greeks and Romans, such as the Trojan War, Oedipus, Hercules, Orpheus, the Minotaur and Greek versions of the beginning of the universe. Designed for people wanting to broaden their knowledge and understanding of these myths which have inspired much of Western art, literature and thought.
- Session 1: In the Beginning … Greek Myths about the Creation of the Universe, the Gods and the Role of Humanity
- Session 2: The Older Gods – Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hera and Hestia
- Session 3: The Younger Gods – Apollo, Dionysus, Athena, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone and More
- Session 4: The Questing Heroes – including Perseus, Herclues, Theseus, Oedipus and Orpheus
- Session 5: Group Efforts – including the Trojan War and Jason & the Argonauts
Timetable:
5 x 2hr sessions
9 - 13 January 2012
3.00 – 5.00 pm
$160 full, $130 concession