University of Galway

This course examines the evidence for one of the most successful forms of state society in the ancient Mediterranean, namely the polis or city-state, making use of evidence from archaeology, ancient history, epigraphy, numismatics, and ancient literature. It explores the emergence of the first city-states in Greece following a period of economic decline, the so-called Greek “Dark Age” and slow recovery. The key features of the city-state and particularly the features of the urban environment are discussed as are the political structures required to govern large urban populations. The re-emergence of writing, in an alphabetic system, is given attention due to the importance of written law and constitutions for social and political stability. The course considers different systems of government used at various city-states and the economic and social systems that emerge alongside and within the various poleis. The connection between the emergence of the polis and the foundation of new Greek communities overseas – colonization – are discussed. The course makes a comparative study of early constitutional history of Athens and Sparta. The invention of coinage is studied as are relations between different Greek city-states. The course concludes with a consideration of the first contact and conflicts between the world of the city-states and the imperial power of Persia.

This course provides an introduction to the language of the Old Irish period (ca. 600-900).

This course refers to the interface between landscape and archaeology, focusing on landscape and place theory, legislation and practice for archaeologists, with reference to Irish and international case studies.

In this course, students examine a selection of six notable North American novels: OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck; ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST by Ken Kesey; IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote; Julie Otsuka's WHEN THE EMPEROR WAS DIVINE, THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison; and Octavia E. Butler’s KINDRED. Students explore the relationship between social history and the aesthetic and generic development of North American writing with an emphasis on the way in which these novels reflect key cultural concerns including madness, murder, incarceration, isolation, The American Dream, identity, prejudice, and resilience.