ATS2349 The golden age of Athens
Faculty of Arts
ATS2349 The golden age of Athens is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
No reviews yetNo reviews yet. Be the first to review ATS2349.
Requisites
Before ATS2349
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2349
No unit lists ATS2349 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: ATS3349
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Overview
This unit focuses on the city-state of Athens during the 5th century BCE: the period when, in a burst of creativity, her citizens produced their greatest achievements. The unit offers a historical and archaeological framework within which to explore aspects of Greece in the 5th century: from the desperate battles of the Persian Wars to debates about democracy, philosophy, and history. We explore the literary and material culture of Athens at its height -the creation of the Parthenon, the works of Thucydides and Plato, and the evidence of an evolving political system- as well as the seeds of trouble planted within- slavery, unequal status for women and non-citizens, and an increasingly coercive empire. Students will identify ways in which the ideas and archaeology of Athens have shaped the modern world, from the practices of democracy to the Parthenon marbles debate and the development of the modern nation of Greece.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Presentation30%
- Presentation10%
- EssayWritten40%
- Online QuizzesQuiz / Test20%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify the historical context within which 5th century Athens flourished;
- 2
Analyse the process by which Athens established an empire which, in turn, facilitated her innovative artistic and cultural achievements;
- 3
Describe the principles of Greek art and architecture, major ideas and individuals in philosophy, history, and theatre, and the nature and ideological structure of Athenian radical democracy;
- 4
Apply critical and analytical skills to the study of archaeological, textual, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence;
- 5
Debate concepts and events related to the history, society, and material culture of 5th century Athens, through in-class discussion and a re-enactment meeting of the Athenian ekklesia (assembly).
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachRole play
- Teaching approachResearch activities
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages students in actively applying their knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit provides students with opportunities to Role-play in order to have that personal engagement.
This unit allows students to develop their research skills by engaging in structured inquiry using a systematic approach and discipline-specific methodologies.
Learning resources
Required resources
There are required texts for this unit. Required texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore (https://www.monash.edu/retail/books) and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library (https://www.monash.edu/library).
Where it fits
ATS2349 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Andrew Connor
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Andrew Connor
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2349?
ATS2349 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2349 offered?
In 2026, ATS2349 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2349?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2349 have an exam?
No. ATS2349 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2349?
ATS2349 is part of Archaeology and ancient history.