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 | 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.
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| Course description |
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 specialised military tasks and for various administrative duties in Rome. Topics to be considered include the background to the praetorians; their role as bodyguard; their use in civic duties in the capital (e.g. policing the games); and finally the more nefarious duties to which they were assigned on behalf of the emperor (e.g. spying and executions).
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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. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate, by way of 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;
- demonstrate, by way of written examination and course work as well as in class discussion, an understanding of the ways in which the guard interacted with various institutions in Rome and beyond;
- demonstrate, by way of written examination and course work as well as in class discussion, an understanding of the interaction of various sources of evidence (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) in the construction of an historical understanding of the guard.
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Reading List
* Austin, N.J.E. & N.B. Rankov (1995) Exploratio: Military and Political Intelligence in the Roman World from the Second Punic War to the Battle of Adrianople. London
* Berriman, A. et al (2001) 'A very Roman coup: the hidden war of imperial succession, AD 96-8', Historia 50.3: 312-331
* Bingham, S.J. (2013) The Praetorian Guard: A History of Rome's Elite Special Forces. London
* Bingham, S.J. (2003) 'Life on an island', Studies in Latin Literature and Roman History 11: 376-400
* Bingham, S.J. (1999) 'Security at the games in the early imperial period' EMC 18.3: 369-379
* Coulston, J. (2000) ' "Armed and belted men": the soldiery in imperial Rome', in J. Coulston and H. Dodge (eds.), Ancient Rome: the Archaeology of the Eternal City. Oxford: 76-118
* Durry, M. (1938) Les Cohortes Prétoriennes. Paris
* Le Bohec, Y. (1994) The Imperial Roman Army. Batsford
* Passerini, A.(1939) Le Coorti Pretorie. Rome
* Speidel, M.P. (1994) Riding for Caesar. London
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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 | Miss Stephanie Blakey
Tel: (0131 6)50 3580
Email: steph.blakey@ed.ac.uk |
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