Faculty of Philosophy Greek / Classical Philology – Bachelor 50%
Students of Greek studies learn about Ancient Greek from the perspective of literary studies and linguistics. The cultural history of ancient Greece is also of major importance in order to understand the historical texts.
Facts & Formalities
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts |
| Type of programme | Undergraduate |
| Start of programme | Winter and summer semester |
| Standard period of study | 6 semesters |
| Language(s) of instruction | German and English |
| Fees and contributions | 151.05 € / Semester |
| Application procedure | Subjects with no admission restrictions |
| Application deadlines | Information about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program. |
| Teaching degree option | Yes |
Course Content
Greek linguistics
Students learn about the history of the Greek language with the help of comparative linguistic methods, about the phonetic system and the evolution of phonetic rules, about the attested stages of Greek: the Mycenaean linguistic form, the dialects of the historical period, the characteristics of literary language and its variants. A special focus is laid on post-classical colloquialisms, the so-termed Koine Greek, which laid the foundations for the development of Modern Greek. In addition, synchronous aspects of linguistics are also taken into consideration, such as regional and societal differentiation, text linguistics and more.
Greek literary studies
Independent reading in the source language enables students to become familiar with the most important works. Independent reading cannot be substituted with courses or lectures. The ‘reading courses’ are merely intended as impulse providers. The focus of the academic programme is on the main, or classic, works: Homer, the tragic poets, the historians Herodotus and Thucydides as well as Plato. The course content can be supplemented by additional sub-disciplines. These include, for example, literary theory, stylistics and metric, rhetoric and text criticism.
Greek culture
Literary texts are an important source of cultural history. Students can gain further insights into cultural history a) by taking courses in other subjects such as archaeology and ancient history, b) by going on and adequately preparing for field trips to antique cultural sites (excavations, museums), c) by participating in courses on cultural-historical topics such as Greek religions.
Course Structure
At the beginning of the degree programme, translation assignments into and out of Greek will allow students to review and consolidate basic language and grammar skills. In addition, introductory courses will provide an overview of the objectives, methods, and history of classical philology (Introduction to Classical Philology), critical literary methods and theories (Introduction to Literary Studies), and linguistics fundamentals (Introduction to Linguistics). Over the course of studies, in addition to translation exercises involving increasingly complex texts, seminars and lectures will allow students to gain analytical and interpretive skills. Following completion of the introductory modules, students may also select a specialisation from the areas of either Greek literature or Greek linguistics.
The polyvalent Bachelor's degree opens up two qualification options: the academic training can serve as the basis for the Master of Education in the Lehramt Gymnasium profile if the career goal is to become a teacher. At the same time, the polyvalent Bachelor can be the basis for a Master of Arts or Master of Science. This study decision can be made during the Bachelor's degree programme.
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