Course syllabus
ANCHIST 255: The Later Roman Empire
SEMESTER 2, 2018
15 points
Course Convenor:
Dr Justin Pigott - j.pigott@auckland.ac.nz
Room 707 Arts 1
Email: j.pigott@auckland.ac.nz
Office Hour: Thursday 12-1pm
Course delivery format:
Three lectures per week:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 2–3pm
N.B. There is no tutorial for this class
(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)
Summary of Course Description:
This course is designed as an introduction to the history of the later Roman Empire, both East and West, between the third and the sixth centuries. It explores the themes of change and continuity, examining the impact of new forces on the institutions and culture of the Roman world, but also surveying those elements which survived into the Middle Ages, and even to our present day.
Lectures and readings will raise a series of broad questions: What happened to the Roman Empire and why did it happen? Is this a story of "decline and fall"? How were old social and cultural forms adapted and changed? How and why does the ideal of Rome survive?
Topics covered include the social, economic and political crises of the period and how they were (or were not) resolved, contacts and conflicts between Romans and barbarians, the impact of Christianity and other religious movements, the persistence of pagan cultural and intellectual traditions, and the reinterpretation of the Roman past by those forging a new future in both the East and the West.
Course outcomes:
This course is designed as an introduction to the history of the later Roman Empire, both East and West, between the third and the sixth centuries. The first two lectures of each section examine major themes from the period. The third lecture is devoted to a case-study, examining an important topic, source, or group of sources, in some detail. The intention is to balance lectures conveying content with case-studies which provide a more sensory feel for the flavour and distinctiveness of the past. These case-studies will concentrate on allowing you to hear the voices of those who lived through the events described, or to see the artefacts which they produced. You are required to read selections from primary sources each week, but where the primary sources might be difficult to access, brief secondary readings have been assigned instead or as well. These readings expose you to a wide variety of ancient sources, including histories, literary works, art, archaeology and legal texts. The lectures guide you in how to use these sources and to think about the challenges and problems they pose to historians.
A student who successfully completes this course will have:
- Gained a broad knowledge and understanding of the later Roman empire
- Enhanced their ability to evaluate primary evidence and evaluate modern sources
- Undertaken independent research
Assessment Summary:
Document analysis (1000 words, due 4pm Aug 22nd) - 20%
Essay (2000 words, due 4pm September 27th) - 40%
2-hour exam - 40%
Weekly Topics:
Week One
July 17: Introduction to the course
July 18: The legacy of Augustus
July 19: The problems of empire
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter two
Week Two
July 24: The third century: what went wrong?
July 25: Diocletian’s reforms and the new Roman empire
July 26: Case-study: Problems of the ancient economy
Required reading: Diocletian’s edict on maximum prices; S.J.J. Corcoran, ‘The prices edict’.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapters one and three
Week Three
July 31: Constantine
August 1: Christianity
August 2: Case-study: Rhetoric and panegyric
Required reading: Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, book one.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapters four and five
Week Four
August 7: Julian
August 8: The late fourth century: unity and crisis
August 9: Case-study: Eyewitness history
Required reading: Ammianus Marcellinus, selections from books 18 and 19
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter six
Week Five
August 14: Rome and Constantinople
August 15: Capitals and provinces, towns and countryside
August 16: Case-study: Social history through hagiography
Required reading: Sulpicius Severus, The Life of St Martin of Tours
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter eight
Week Six
August 21: Barbarians: invasions, settlements and military service
August 22: Paganism: a world survives
August 23: Case-study: Magic and ritual, curses and cures
Required reading: Various texts on magic; John Gager, ‘Introduction’.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter nine; MWLA, chapter two
Mid-semester break
Week Seven
September 11: Politics and power in the fifth-century West
September 12: Politics and power in the fifth-century East
September 13: Case-study: Law and society
Required reading: Selections from the Theodosian Code; Peter Garnsey and Caroline Humfress, ‘Law and legal practice’.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter seven; MWLA, Introduction and chapter one
Week Eight
September 18: The new economy
September 19: Late antique cities
September 20: Case-study: Arles
Required reading: S.T. Loseby, ‘Arles in late antiquity: Gallula Roma Arelas and Urbs Genesii’.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter eight; MWLA, chapters four and seven
Week Nine
September 25: Letters and elite social networks
September 26: Gender and sexuality
September 27: Case-study: Jerome and the women
Required reading: selections from the works of Jerome
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter ten; MWLA, chapter six
Week Ten
October 2: The cult of the saints
October 3: Did the Roman empire fall?
October 4: Case-study: Art and architecture
Required reading: Jaś Elsner, ‘Art and imperial power’; Robin Cormack, ‘Rome with a Christian face? Early Byzantine art 330-527’.
Suggested reading: LRE, chapter eleven, conclusion; MWLA, chapter three
Week Eleven
October 9: Justinian, Theodora and Belisarius
October 10: Early Byzantium
October 11: Case-Study: History and gossip
Required reading: Selections from the works of Procopius
Suggested reading: MWLA, chapters five and eight
Week Twelve
October 16: Ostrogoths, Lombards and Franks
October 17: Vandals and Visigoths
October 18: Conclusions
Suggested reading: MWLA, chapter 9, conclusion
Recommended Texts:
Averil Cameron, The Later Roman Empire, AD 284-430, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1993. (hereafter LRE)
Averil Cameron, The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity, AD 395-700, second edition, Routledge, London and New York, 2012. (hereafter MWLA)
Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:
The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.
Library
The Classics and Ancient History subject librarian, Mark Hangartner (m.hangartner@auckland.ac.nz) is available for assistance in researching essays and finding useful resources. The library also runs a series of sessions at the beginning of the semester, designed to familiarise students with how the library works.
Student Learning Centre
The Student Learning Centre facilitates the acquisition of effective academic learning and performance skills in students. It is NOT just for struggling students, but for anyone wanting to improve their grades or learn new study skills. It offers a series of workshops throughout the year, as well as one-on-one appointments with tutors. The SLC is located on the third floor of the Information Commons, phone: 373 7599 ext. 88850, email: slc@auckland.ac.nz, website: http://cad.auckland.ac.nz/index.php?p=slc
Late policy
In fairness to students who meet course deadlines, all unexcused late submissions will be penalised. Extensions for medical, compassionate and other urgent reasons are granted, but require advance approval from the lecturer.
Statement on academic integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Course summary:
Date | Details | Due |
---|---|---|