Undergraduate Course: Custodians of Empire: The Praetorian Guard (ANHI10034)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | 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. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter(at least 2 of which should be in Ancient History) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
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.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
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. |
| Keywords | Praetorian Guard |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sandra Bingham
Tel: (0131 6)50 6689
Email: S.Bingham@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Elaine Hutchison
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: E.Hutchison@ed.ac.uk |
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