Byzantine Centres of Splendour



Overview

Apart from Constantinople, the political and cultural capital of the Byzantine empire for over a thousand years, there were other wealthy cities and towns as well as monastic communities in the empire which produced exquisite cultural and artistic products.

Using contemporary texts and visual aids, the course will trace the development of Constantinople and certain other Byzantine centres (Thessalonica, Meteora, Mt Athos, Mystras, Holy Land and Mt Sinai, Ravenna, Venice, Sicily) and examine the cultural, artistic and everyday life in those centres from the 4th to the 15th century.

Programme details

Course starts Monday 25 September   

Week 1: Introduction to the topic - course requirements

Week 2: Constantinople

Week 3: Constantinople

Week 4: Constantinople

Week 5: Constantinople and Mystras

Week 6: Thessalonica and mainland Greece

Week 7: Meteora

Week 8: Mt Athos

Week 9: Holy Land and Mt Sinai

Week 10: Italy (Ravenna, Venice, Sicily)

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from between January 1st and July 31st after the current academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Aphrodite Papayianni

Aphrodite Papayianni holds a PhD in Byzantine History and teaches at the University of London and OUDCE. She has a particular interest in the Byzantine-Western relations and has published articles in various topics of Byzantine History.

Course aims

To provide a comprehensive introduction to the cultural and artistic life in certain Byzantine centres from the 4th to the 15th century.

Course objectives:

  • To provide an overview of events and developments in certain major Byzantine political and cultural centres.
  • To encourage an enquiring and analytical approach to various aspects of Byzantine artistic and cultural history.
  • To enable students to develop a critical understanding of methods, debates and materials appropriate to the study of Byzantine cultural history.

Teaching methods

The course is taught by a combination of lectures, seminars and group discussions

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • be able to evaluate aspects of the cultural life of the Byzantine empire and identify some of the main characteristics of Byzantine art;
  • gain knowledge and understanding of themes and issues concerning certain aspects of the cultural and artistic life in Byzantium;
  • be able to think critically and independently about what they have learnt.

Assessment methods

Assessment of learning will take place through the evaluation and marking of written assignments (essay or book review).

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support