Incoming Students
The Department of Classical Philology welcomes international students through the Erasmus+ Program and other exchange programs. Incoming students have the possibility to access a wide range of courses, offered not only by our department but also by other departments (e.g. History, Philosophy, Art History, Theology).
Courses in the Department of Classical Philology are offered on a semester basis. Each semester consists of thirteen weeks (including a week for early examinations). The Winter Semester begins in mid-September and ends in mid-December; the Summer Semester begins in early February and ends in mid-May. All courses are taught once per week and offer two to three credits.
The courses in English are addressed to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Our instruction spans a wide range of topics pertaining to the Greco-Roman civilization from the Homeric world to Byzantium, and from the foundation of Rome to the Late Middle Ages. Our faculty have a vast experience in both research and teaching at all university levels.
Exchange students who plan to continue their studies in our Department are welcome to seek academic advice or information about the program of studies from the International Exchange Programs coordinator at: jana.engelbrechtova@upol.cz.
All courses listed below will take place in 2021/2022 and are open to Erasmus+ & Exchange & Czech students.
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | SEMESTER (W/S) | ECTS CREDITS | ECTS GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KKF/GM1 | Ancient/Greek mythology | W | 3 | Pre-Exam Credit |
| KKF/HF1 | History and Fiction: Narrative Literature from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance | W | 3 | Pre-Exam Credit |
| KKF/SIC | Societies in Crisis: Pandemics and Disasters in Premodern Europe | W | 5 | Pre-Exam Credit |
| KKF/RJ1 | Greek Language: Beginners | W | 3 | Pre-Exam Credit |
Ancient mythology
KKF/AM2 | Summer Semester| Instructor: Dr. Florin Leonte
Ancient mythology has excited the imagination of people across time and space. The many stories about gods, monsters, heroes, or natural phenomena have inspired major literary or artistic works. This class will therefore introduce students to the major myths of the ancient Greece and Rome through the study of the literature and art of the ancients. The goal of the course is to explore the nature and multiple functions of Greek and Roman myths in the ancient world. Their appropriation by subsequent generations will also be investigated by looking at various instances of reception in the postclassical and modern world.
History and Fiction: Narrative Literature from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance
KKF/HF2 | Summer Semester | Instructor: Dr. Florin Leonte
In this course we will explore examples of historical and fictional narrative beginning with late antique compositions and extending to late medieval texts. While we will focus primarily on individual works translated from Latin or Greek, we will also address their cross-cultural nature as well as their common ancient models. In particular, the course will address issues like the development of medieval narrative genres, the treatment of key historical events taking place in both East and West (e.g. transition from the ancient world, iconoclasm, crusades), or reader responses.
Societies in Crisis: Pandemics and Disasters in Pre-Modern Europe
KKF/SIC | Winter Semester| Instructor: Dr. Florin Leonte
Ever since Antiquity, pandemics and disasters of massive proportions have constituted a basic human condition. Two periods can be distinguished as particularly disease-ridden: the early Middle Ages (sixth to eighth centuries) and the Late Middle Ages. In both periods the higher mortality arose chiefly from new diseases, mainly plague (the precise nature of which remains unknown. The main goal of this course is to explore the changing disease patterns in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (500 BCE-1500 CE). At the same time, we will look at the social and political responses to epidemics. Overall, in broad historical terms, the ebb and flow of pandemics and catastrophes was a basic element in the demographic growth and decline in Europe and the Mediterranean. To this extent, epidemics also worked to shape social relations, cultural norms and values and political institutions and practices in the pre-modern world.
Greek Language: Beginner Level
KKF/RJ1 | Winter Semester| Instructor: Dr. Florin Leonte
This introductory course is designed to help students develop the basic skills for reading Ancient Greek texts: pronunciation, reading, and morphology. Participants will learn not only to analyze linguistic information but also to acquire knowledge about the Ancient Greek civilization and to place it in context. The focus will be on the most common form of Classical Greek, the language used by the textual masterpieces of the Hellenic world. Course materials that we will study are meant to encourage students to explore the connections between language and society at large.