Module manager: Fabio Sarranito
Email: f.sarranito@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| CLAS2750 | Happiness and the Good Life in the Greek and Roman Worlds |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
All human beings aspire to happiness and to live a good life. But what happiness might be and what living a good life might entail have always been the subject of intense debate and anxiety. The question of what it means to be happy and how happiness can be achieved was one that occupied Ancient Greek and Romans throughout Antiquity and was at the very centre of their ethical debates and day-to-day concerns. This module will give students the opportunity to explore and reflect on the lived experiences and ethical questions of the Greeks and Romans, and learn more about how they understood the purpose, meaning and goal of their lives. Students will explore the material, political and social conditions that influenced their thought on happiness and the good life, and their ability to achieve it, including the role played by wealth, health, family connections, friendship, political communities, as well as the gods and the afterlife. Students will also have the chance to consider how ancient ideas on happiness were associated with conceptions of what it means to be a human being. Can all human beings be happy? Can a woman be happy? Can a child? And what about slaves, barbarians, and those whose lives are tied up with providing for the bare necessities of life? What students will find is that, although we might have the same aspiration for happiness and a good life, the Greeks and Romans understood these ideas in ways that are, in some respects, radically different from our own. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module aims to introduce students to the questions, ideas and assumptions, as well as material, political and social conditions related to happiness and the good life in the Greek and Roman worlds. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the differences and similarities between our own contemporary conceptions about happiness and those held by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as the influence some ancient ideas have had over the centuries. Students will explore some of the ancient discussions about the nature of happiness and the means to attain it, and examine their assumptions and preconceptions. Lectures will introduce key concepts, fundamental problems and historical and material aspects that were deemed relevant for the attainment of happiness, for example, virtue, pleasure and pain, health, wealth, honour and prestige, friendship, relationship with the gods, among others. Lectures will also introduce a selection of crucial authors whose works help map out the ideas and problems explored in the module, e.g. Homer, Aristotle, Plato, Epicurus, Lucretius, Seneca, Horace, Epictetus, among others. Seminars will be dedicated to close reading, analysis and discussion of selected primary sources (either textual or material) which will contribute to deepen students’ understanding of the different aspects of the subject. These may include selections of philosophical texts, epic poetry, lyric poetry, tragedy, comedy, historiography, medical writings, etc., as well as material and archaeological evidence.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Compare and evaluate problems, concepts, arguments and assumptions related to happiness and the good life in the Greek and Roman Worlds;
2. Compare and interpret cultural and literary trends, as well as material, social and political conditions associated with happiness and the good life in the Greek and Roman Worlds;
3. Appraise a range of scholarly views on happiness and the good life, as well as the reception of Ancient Greek and Roman perspectives on happiness and the good life;
4. Apply critical reflection to ancient ethical issues and their legacy.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Analyse and evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources;
6. Discuss and appraise complex and nuanced arguments and ideas;
7. Creatively apply and reflect on the knowledge acquired in the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Seminar | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
There are ongoing opportunities for formative feedback through participation in seminars. There will be a seminar session dedicated to preparing each of the assessments. Students are also given the opportunity to contact tutors to help plan essays and, especially, the creative task and reflection. Feedback from first coursework will afford a formal opportunity to monitor student progress
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 40 |
| Coursework | Written Assignment | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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