Module manager: Emma Stafford
Email: e.j.stafford@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| CLAS2450 | Screening Antiquity |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module is suitable for Level 3 students with some basic knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. It aims to introduce the student to representations of, and allusions to, antiquity on the big and small screens. Both historical and mythological topics are considered, such as Hercules and the fall of Troy and the rise and fall of the Roman empire, with a particular emphasis on artistic and other motivations for the adaptation of narrative. 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.
The aim of this module is to provide students with an insight into the historical/ mythical background behind a range of popular figures and stories from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, and to allow them to appreciate the complex ways in which these figures/stories have been represented and manipulated in twentieth- and twenty-first-century screen media.
The module will:
• present a broad history of representations of, and allusions to, the ancient Greek and Roman worlds on screen, from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day, and an appreciation of the significance of such representations for the reception of Classics.
• explain the ancient historical and/or mythological background to a selection of on-screen representations of the ancient world, and its transmission across time.
• show how various modern factors can affect on-screen representations of antiquity, including contemporary political or socio-historical contexts, the influence of earlier films, and creative imperatives.
• introduce students to the main methods of enquiry into film and television.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Discuss and describe the history of representations of, and allusions to, the ancient Greek and Roman worlds on screen.
2. Describe and compare the ways in which specific stories from the ancient world have been adapted for treatment in modern film/TV, identifying a range of influential factors and assessing their relative significance.
3. Analyse a range of relevant media and construct arguments based on this analysis.
4. Communicate analysis and assessments of the media clearly.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Write to a brief in a form that observes defined parameters.
2. Gather, appraise, and analyse information from secondary sources.
Topics for study in any given year will vary, depending on the availability of members of the teaching team, and allowing for the inclusion of new releases. There will typically be a mixture of Greek and Roman, mythological and historical, topics, and consideration of works influenced by the ancient world but not explicitly set there. These may include (but are not limited to) a selection from:
- Herakles/Hercules: from the peplum, Legendary Journeys and Disney to the twenty-first century reboot
- Troy: from Helen of Troy (1956) to Troy (2004) and the series Troy: Fall of City (2018)
- Odysseys: from Ulysses (1954) to O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
- Sparta and Thermopylae: from The Three Hundred Partans (1962) 300 (2007)
- Greek tragedy: from Iphigeneia (1977) to The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
- The Roman Republic: from Spartacus (1960) to the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010-13)
- Establishing empire: from Cleopatra (1963) and Carry on Cleo (1964) to Rome (2005-7) and Game of Thrones (2011-19)
- Mad, bad emperors: from Quo Vadis (1951), Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and I Claudius (1976) to Gladiator (2000)
- Volcanic destruction: from Dr Who’s The Fires of Pompeii (2008) to Pompeii (2014)
Lectures will provide an introduction to the topics and their transmission from antiquity to the twentieth-/twenty-first century, and seminars will encourage students to discuss the material in smaller groups, with particular emphasis on how and why stories change through time and across media.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| Seminar | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 176 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 24 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Writing up notes/consolidating lectures: 15 x 1 = 15 hours
Seminar preparation: 5 x 2 = 10 hours
Wider private reading/research, including watching films/TV episodes: 85 hours
Researching and writing coursework: 35
Exam revision and preparation: 35
Oral feedback will be given on formative seminar discussions throughout the module. Feedback sessions will also take place during regular office hours. Feedback on the first assessment will be returned in good time to inform the second.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Poster presentation with reflective commentary | 50 |
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| 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
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team