Undergraduate Course: The Roman Empire and its Neighbours (CACA10023)
Course Outline
School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
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 focuses on the Roman Empire's interaction with, and its state of development in comparison with, its neighbours. Stretching from Britain to the Syrian Desert, the Roman Empire was arguably one of the most cosmopolitan states in world history. The course will provide participants with an awareness of the Empire's diversity, as well as that of its neighbours, in Britain, Germany, Persia and further afield. |
Course description |
Rome was the dominant power in Europe and the Mediterranean, militarily, economically and culturally as well as in terms of the population it controlled for as much as 750 to 800 years (from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD), much longer than any state before or after. Indeed, for most periods of history no single state reached similar dominance in the West and, if so, it was normally for years or decades rather than centuries. The course will explore the reasons behind this unparalleled longevity in terms of the Empire's ability to inflict military defeats on its enemies as well as to integrate the conquered population. It will also explore the comparative state of development of the Empire and neighbouring cultures and political entities in various fields and how they interacted and influenced each other through trade, war and other contacts. While dominant in the Mediterranean and Europe, in the East a militarily and technologically equally highly developed power emerged. The course will go beyond traditional text-based approaches and use the full range of evidence at our disposal, including the remnants of the Roman Empire's material culture within and beyond its boundaries, as well that of its neighbours.
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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 Archaeology) 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 coursework and examination as required, knowledge of some important aspects of the archaeological and historical evidence for contacts and conflicts between the Roman Empire and its neighbours between the late Republic and Late Antiquity;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, awareness of some significant regional differences and wider similarities in the material culture of the Empire's frontier territories;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, awareness of the some of the neighbouring cultures;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, some knowledge of the geography of the Empire, its frontiers and its neighbours;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, bibliographical research skills to enable students to find independently additional information on aspects of the archaeology and history of different territories in the Roman Empire.
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Reading List
Alföldy, G., 1988 The Social History of Rome, Baltimore and London
Ball, W., 2000 Rome in the East, London and New York: 312-317.
Begley, V. and De Puma, R.D. (eds), 1991 Rome and India. The Ancient Sea Trade, Madison and London.
Butcher, K., 2003 Roman Syria and the Near East, London.
Creighton, J.D. and Wilson, R.J.A. (eds), 1999 Roman Germany: Studies in cultural interaction, JRA Suppl. 32, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Cunliffe, B., 2005 Iron Age Communities in Britain, 4th edn, London and New York.
Mattingly, D.J., 1995 Tripolitania, London.
Mitchell S. 1993 Anatolia: land, men and gods in Asia Minor, Oxford (2 volumes): esp. Vol. 1: chapter 9: 118-43.
Potter, T.W., 1987 Roman Italy, London.
Sauer, E., Omrani Rekavandi, H., Wilkinson, T., Nokandeh, J. et al. 2013. Persia's Imperial Power in Late Antiquity, Oxford.
Wells, P.S., 1999 The Barbarians speak: how the conquered people shaped Roman Europe, Princeton.
Wilkinson, T.J., 2003 Archaeological Landscapes of the Near East, Tuscon.
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Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
Course organiser | Prof Eberhard Sauer
Tel: (0131 6)50 3587
Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Elaine Hutchison
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: E.Hutchison@ed.ac.uk |
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