Duration
30h Th, 3d FT Tr. Pr.
Number of credits
| Bachelor in history of art and archaeology : general | 5 crédits | |||
| Bachelor in history | 5 crédits | |||
| Bachelor in history of art and archaeology : musicology | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
"Fundamentals of Mythology Through Text, Image, and Medium: The Odyssey."
The ancient Greeks conceived of mythology and history as narrative cycles, whether literary or iconographic. And Odysseus's interminable journey back to the homeland he had left to fight beneath the walls of Troy invites us to study a remarkable collection of texts and images.
Without neglecting the literary tradition (epic, lyric, or dramatic poetry, as well as prose), this course will above all offer the opportunity to conduct an iconographic investigation within a coherent corpus (sculpture, large-scale painting and vase painting, mosaics, coroplastics and toreutics, glyptics) and to extract from it a series of specific episodes (the blinding of Polyphemus, the charms of Circe, the song of the Sirens, the Nekyia, the hospitality of Nausicaa, the reunion with Penelope, and the slaughter of the suitors). A narrative cycle in which the world is traversed all the way to the Underworld and in which women play a role of the utmost importance. In it, cunning often proves more effective than force, and the will of the gods is sometimes called into question. In this BLOC3 course, we will highlight the various iconographic traditions associated with each of these episodes, without neglecting the geographical and cultural contexts in which these works were created, in order to understand their mythological significance and to critically evaluate modern interpretations of them.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The two modules in BLOCK 3 (HAAR0072-2 and HAAR0073-2) build on the knowledge acquired during the first two years of study - they complement one another in adopting an integrated approach to the art history and archaeology of Greco-Roman antiquity, which involves moving beyond the arbitrary distinction between 'art history' and 'archaeology' in favour of a cultural history of the Greek and Roman worlds. The aim is to put fundamental knowledge relating to the study of antiquity (historical references and geographical data, political and social institutions, religious practices and cultural traditions) to the test by undertaking a contextualised study of Greco-Roman monuments, artefacts and decorative elements, taking into account both material and visual cultural evidence and written traditions.
The primary learning objective is to define and put into practice a research process tailored to a specific research question. It involves providing students with the tools necessary for the study of Greek mythology - whose narratives have constantly varied across different periods and locations - with particular attention paid to the principles of iconographic language and the contextualisation of the images under investigation.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
None - bearing in mind that the History of Art and Archaeology of Greek-Roman Antiquity is only one element of the indissociable whole of the Sciences of Antiquity (history, philology, history of religion).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
For BAC students, regular presence in class is required, as well as analytical and verification work in the library which is required to pull together all the material presented. These hours of personal study, which will be required throughout the year, should be equivalent (or greater than) the number of hours in class. It is also advised that the foundations are laid on the basis of bibliographical and iconographical information.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Lecture (accompanied by presentations) during which active student participation is required (critical discussions); an educational museum visit-in collaboration with students enrolled in course HAAR0073-to engage directly with the artworks.
However, it is possible that some classes may be delivered via podcasts posted on MyUliège.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
Provided in the reading list provided during the course, in particular:
- Suzanne SAÏD, Monique TREDE et Alain LE BOULLUEC, Histoire de la littérature grecque, Paris 1997.
- Hubert ZEHNACKER et Jean-Claude FREDOUILLE, Littérature latine, Paris 1993.
- Karl SCHEFOLD, Götter- und Heldensagen der Griechen in der Früh- und Hocharchaischen Kunst, München 1992 (seconde édition). (= SB I2)
- Karl SCHEFOLD, Götter- und Heldensagen der Griechen in der Spätarchaischen Kunst, München 1978. (= SB II)
- Karl SCHEFOLD, Die Göttersage in der klassischen und hellenistischen Kunst, München 1981. (= SB III)
- Karl SCHEFOLD et Franz JUNG, Die Urkönige Perseus, Bellerophon, Herakles und Theseus in der klassischen und hellenistischen Kunst, München 1988. (= SB IV)
- Karl SCHEFOLD et Franz JUNG, Die Sagen von den Argonauten, von Theben und Troia in der klassischen und hellenistischen Kunst, München 1989. (= SB V)
- William B. STANFORD, The Ulysses Theme. A Study in the Adaptability of a Traditional Hero, Oxford 1954.
- Odette TOUCHEFEU-MEYNIER, Thèmes odysséens dans l'art antique, Paris 1968.
- Frank BROMMER, Odysseus. Die Taten und Leiden des Helden in antiker Kunst und Literatur, Darmstadt 1983.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam AND oral exam
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Further information:
The January exam (first session) will consist of a written test (open-ended questions), while the August exam (third session) will take the form of an oral exam (open-ended questions).
Work placement(s)
No placements are planned during this course.
Invitation à participer à une journée d'études organisées - pour les étudiants inscrits aux cours HAAR0072 et HAAR0073 - dans les collections gréco-romaines du Musée du Cinquantenaire de Bruxelle ou du Musée Royal de Mariemont.
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
This course will take place every week from Tuesday 22 September 2026, in line with the organigramme which has been established (Tuesdays 4pm to 6pm / S50). No breaks are planned during the class.
Contacts
Meetings (upon appointment) at the History of Art and Archaeology of Greek and Roman Antiquity Department: Thursday (9am - noon) in the first term - Tuesdays (9am - noon) in the second term.
Lecturer
Thomas Morard, professor
Department of Historical Sciences
Quai Roosevelt 1b (Building A4) at B-4000 Liège
Tel. 04.366.56.12
Email : thomas.morard@uliege.be
http://web.philo.ulg.ac.be/shaaragr/
Secretariat
Josiane DERULLIEUR
Tél. 04.366.53.41