Custodians of Empire: The Praetorian Guard (U03612)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-3-GUARD

The praetorian guard was an elite Roman military force, in existence for over three hundred years. Adapted from a republican institution by Augustus, it was in essence the personal army of the emperor, and, within a very short time, was also responsible for specialized military tasks and for various administrative duties in Rome, such as policing the games. It was thanks to the praetorians that Claudius obtained the throne in 41, and their role in precipitating the civil war in the late second century indicates the power that was inherent in the position. This course will examine the praetorian guard from its establishment to its demise in AD 312, considering aspects as diverse as the physical make-up of the unit and the political influence that it had in Rome. We will also consider the use of similar units in later empires, most notably the Janissaries.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A Pass in a 2nd Level Ancient History course or equivalent, or approval of the Course Organiser.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : In order for a student from outwith Classics to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Classics Secretary on 50 3580 for approval to be obtained.

Variants

? This course has variants for part year visiting students, as follows

Custodians of Empire: The Praetorian Guard (VS1) (Not being delivered)

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Ancient History, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
07/01/2008	14:00	14:50	Room G.01, William Robertson Building	Central	In order for a student from outside Classics to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3580 for approval to be obtained.

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	14:00	14:50	Central
Lecture	Thursday	14:00	14:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the course successfully will be able by the end of the course to demonstrate in written examination and course work as well as in class discussion:

- an understanding of the military and political character of the praetorian guard throughout the period of the Empire;
- an understanding of the ways in which the guard interacted with various institutions in Rome and beyond;
- an understanding of the interaction of various sources of evidence (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) in the construction of an historical understanding of the guard.

Transferable Skills:
Students will also demonstrate that they can:

- gather material independently on a given topic and organise it into a coherent data set;
- compare differing sets of data from varying situations and draw conclusions from them;
- evaluate different approaches to and explanations of material, and make critical choices between them;
- express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing;
- organise complex and lengthy sets of arguments and draw these together into a coherent conclusion;
- organise their own learning, manage their workload and work to a timetable.