Ancient Narrative Literature MA

The MA in Ancient Narrative Literature is a dynamic world-first. Its deep exploration of the narrative produced in ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt is informed by globally renowned research expertise.

You will concentrate on fictional and factual ancient narratives in a variety of literary forms. These include the novel, epic poetry, mythology, historiography, and biography. You will also have the chance to begin or continue study of Greek and Latin.

Key concepts of literary and cultural theory will encourage you to investigate ancient texts in creative new ways. As well as ancient literature classics, you will examine less well known texts reflecting stories of ancient people marginalised by gender and social status.

If you plan to undertake further research in this vibrant and rapidly developing area of classical literature, the MA in Ancient Narrative Literature offers excellent preparation.

Why Ancient Narrative Literature at Swansea?

The College of Arts and Humanities is based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.

Ancient Narrative Literature benefits from teaching by scholars associated with the KYKNOS research centre, which continually produces internationally recognised research.

Our Graduate Centre promotes individual and collaborative research activity of international standard, providing a supportive environment for postgraduate research and taught masters study. 

It offers postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development, and facilitates seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

Your Ancient Narrative Literature experience

A diverse selection of rich modules include narrative genres and theory, greek and Latin texts, romance refracted and novels renewed, being Greek under Rome, and magic in the ancient world.

Your study resources will include a main library which is particularly well stocked with original texts, literary and documentary, with basic works of reference and secondary material. It subscribes to a wide range of general and specialist periodicals.

You may also benefit from the thriving Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology postgraduate seminar, which meets weekly.

Ancient Narrative Literature employment opportunities

You will develop excellent oral and writing skills, and learn to present your ideas in a range of formats. Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills will all boost your employment prospects.

Ancient Narrative Literature graduates enter a range of sectors including research, education, marketing and government.

Ancient Narrative Literature modules

You study a set number of compulsory and optional 20-credit modules. A wide variety of modules include narrative genres and theory, Greek and Latin texts, romance refracted and novels renewed, being Greek under Rome, and magic in the ancient world.

Modules on the Ancient Narrative Literature course may include:

• Narrative genres and theory
• Postgraduate Beginning Greek I and II
• Postgraduate Beginning Latin I and II
• Greek Texts 1 and 2
• Latin Texts 1 and 2
• Postgraduate Intermediate Greek 1 and 2
• Postgraduate Further Greek 1 and 2
• Postgraduate Intermediate Latin 1 and 2
• Postgraduate Further Latin 1 and 2
• Word, Metaphor, Allegory: Effective Models of Reality
• Roman houses and households
• Royal Space: The King and His Palace in the Ancient World
• Romance Refracted and novels renewed
• Explorers, Travel and Geography in the Ancient World
• Saints and Sinners in Christian Late Antiquity
• Magic in the Ancient World: Exploring the Sources
• The Poetry of Facts: History in Verse
• Archaeology and Topography of Ancient Rome
• Ancient epistolography: Greek and Latin letters
• Reading Academic German

How you're taught on the Ancient Narrative Literature course

The full-time Ancient Narrative Literature course is split across the year offering three modules in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. The dissertation component is written on a specialist research topic of your choosing.

Part-time Ancient Narrative Literature students take three modules in the first year, three in the second year and write the dissertation in the third year.

You may also be interested in:

• Ancient Egyptian Culture, MA
• Ancient History, MA by Research
• Ancient History and Classical Culture, MA
• Classics, MA
• Egyptology, MA by Research

Visit the Ancient Narrative Literature MA page on the Swansea University website for more details!