Students

AHIS8211 – The Athenian Empire 510-404 BC

2026 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Richard Bott
richard.bott@mq.edu.au
Matthew Bailey
matthew.bailey@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MAncHist or GradCertAncHist or MA in (Ancient History or Coptic Studies)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides an in-depth study of Athens and its empire in the fifth century BCE, commencing with Cleisthenes' reforms. Athens' role in the Persian wars will be examined, and the evidence (documentary and literary) for the Delian League will be studied from the foundation of the League until its dissolution with the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Study, understand, and interpret primary source material in translation (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) relating to Athens and Greece from 510 - 404 BC
  • ULO2: Read and evaluate modern academic studies of Athens and the Athenian empire in English
  • ULO3: Present analytical and argumentative written work, with a focus on expressing and supporting your opinions, to a high standard, with relevant footnoting and accurate bibliography

General Assessment Information

Deadlines, Extensions and Late Penalties

Assessments are due in weeks 4, 8, and 13. You can apply for an extension to a deadline for an assessment - this is known at Macquarie University as Special Consideration - if you foresee an interruption to your studies at the time of submission of an assessment, you should make an application for an extension or Special Consideration.

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Major essay 50% No 08/11/2026 Individual Yes Open
Poster 25% No 20/09/2026 Yes Open
Minor Essay 25% No 23/08/2026 Individual Yes Open

Major essay

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 08/11/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

A 2,500 word essay (including footnotes but excluding bibliography) on a topic to do with the political exploitation of rhetoric, analysis of speeches, and with connections to today.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Study, understand, and interpret primary source material in translation (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) relating to Athens and Greece from 510 - 404 BC
  • Read and evaluate modern academic studies of Athens and the Athenian empire in English
  • Present analytical and argumentative written work, with a focus on expressing and supporting your opinions, to a high standard, with relevant footnoting and accurate bibliography

Poster

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 20/09/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

one slide of text and 2-3 illustrations arranged and put together by students as they wish as long as on only one slide on a topic to do with the Peloponnesian War.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Study, understand, and interpret primary source material in translation (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) relating to Athens and Greece from 510 - 404 BC
  • Read and evaluate modern academic studies of Athens and the Athenian empire in English
  • Present analytical and argumentative written work, with a focus on expressing and supporting your opinions, to a high standard, with relevant footnoting and accurate bibliography

Minor Essay

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 23/08/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

A 1,000 word essay (including footnotes but excluding bibliography) on a topic to do with the rise of Athenian imperialism.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Study, understand, and interpret primary source material in translation (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) relating to Athens and Greece from 510 - 404 BC
  • Read and evaluate modern academic studies of Athens and the Athenian empire in English
  • Present analytical and argumentative written work, with a focus on expressing and supporting your opinions, to a high standard, with relevant footnoting and accurate bibliography

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures will be online each week. Students are also expected to participate in the online weekly forums, where they will have the opportunity to engage more critically with the readings and lectures.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook