Module CLAS2711: Greece, Rome and Carthage

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS2711: Greece, Rome and Carthage

Prerequisites

• CLAS 1301 Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus and/or CLAS 1731 The Craft of the Ancient Historian.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide a second-year of study of a key period of Greek and Roman History which will build upon and extend the learning experience of the new core material at Level 1 and cohere well with Hellenistic and Late Roman Republic History courses at Level 2.

Content

• The module covers the conquest, assimilation and subjection of the Hellenistic Mediterranean to Roman power.
• Rome rose from a primative city with no overseas empire to the most powerful state in the mediterranean in less than a century. This led to rapid changes in society, culture, economy and politics across the region and to the rapid evolution of the roman state. All of these areas will be examined.
• Selected extracts from differernt types of source material will be studied in English translation: the lectures will be illustrated by plentiful visual materials, and there will also be opportunities for hands-on study of genuine artefacts from the period.

Learning Outcomes

• A knowledge of the period of decline of the Hellenistic World from the early third century BC down to the destruction of the Carthage in the mid second century, and of the rise and evolution of Rome during the same period: this will develop an understanding of imperialism and its impact, social and economic as well as political and military history, the scholarly debates on these topics and the particularly complex and diverse nature of the evidence.

• An understanding of the methodologies appropriate for evaluating and handling a range of evidence, including archaeology, epigraphy and literary texts, the last of these often being affected by imcompleteness, hindsight, political agenda and moralising; developing awareness of problems inherent in using translated material; ability to engage with complex and alien societies, cultures and ideas; questioning the use of comparative history, particularly in the area of imperialism; the ability to present a well-constructed and well-expressed written argument.

• The skills needed to handle a variety of written and physical evidence and modern scholarship and not to take any of it at face value; to distinguish and evaluate both by means of various methodologies; the capacity to construct a clear, well-structured, grammatical written argument, showing awareness of counter-arguments, and up-to-date ideas; the ability to work autonomously and to meet internal and external deadlines; the ability to discuss one's work and thus to improve it; the ability to use key IT resources, and to grasp of the advantages and limitations of internet resources.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures are appropriate to the imparting of the information and of methods of interpretation, of both ancient evidence and modern scholarship.
• Classes on source material provide engagement with different types of historical evidence and the ancient historiographical tradition.
• Essays develop skills in assembling and evaluating material, and also in formulating logical and coherent arguments in well-written English.
• Tutorials encourage the critical handling of evidence, discussing and defending points of view, and taking on board new approaches and ideas.
• Final examiniation tests ability to focus on specific historical issues and to organise knowledge and appropriate arguments.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One written assignment, maximum 2000 words; one exercise on text passages, maximum 800 words. No collections.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University