Undergraduate Course: The Rise and Fall of a Star: Julius Caesar in Politics and War (ANHI10107)
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 | How did Julius Caesar become the most famous Roman of all time? How did his figure change and evolve and how was it manipulated across the centuries? This course will focus on the historical, military and political significance of Julius Caesar, one of the most celebrated Roman politicians and generals, and on his impact on modern and contemporary history. The course will cover the most famous events in the career of Julius Caesar, and his role in Roman imperial politics and will end by focusing on how modern and contemporary politicians use his memory as a model and/or inspiration to enhance their reputation. |
| Course description |
The course will primarily focus on ancient evidence on Caesar (textual and numismatics), from the Late Republic to the imperial age. It will analyse the complex and dynamic evolution of Caesar's memory and his role in Roman memory culture and political thought. We will discuss the way Republican authors (Caesar himself and Cicero) talks about Caesar and his deeds; how his memory is manipulated and processed in the Augustan age and later in the imperial age (Lucan, Petronius, Suetonius, Plutarch, Appian). The three final classes will focus on the memory of Caesar and its instrumentalisation in modern and contemporary literary (Shakespeare, Brecht) political and military discourse.
In addition to the analysis of primary sources on Julius Caesar, students will become familiar with the most recent scholarship on Memory, Political and Genocide Studies. The course will also develop the skills necessary to analyse events from a historical, literary and comparative perspective. Particular attention will be dedicated to the ways a character like Caesar, often portrayed as a victor and a positive example of military leadership, was also a perpetrator of war and humanitarian crimes, particularly in relation to the Gallic Wars. Through oral group presentations (in-seminar activities) and written assessment, students will develop presentation skills as well as critical skills to analyse texts and material culture.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed The Roman World 1A: The Rise of Rome (CLGE08003), Ancient History 2a: Past and Present in the Ancient World (ANHI08014) and Ancient History 2b: Themes and Theories in Ancient History (ANHI08013). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics, History or Archaeology (at least 1 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.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
3000 word essay (40%)
Exam:
Two-hour final exam (60%) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours for this course or by appointment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- understand, evaluate, analyse and reflect critically upon primary source material and relevant scholarship about Julius Caesar's political and military career and his impact on modern leadership.
- understand and apply specialised research and professional skills, techniques and practices to the variety of primary source materials considered in the course.
- handle and analyse a wide range of different sources with sophistication and to assess different methodologies and approaches to historical and literary analysis (e.g. biographical and historiographical studies, memory studies, leadership theory).
- discuss, analyse and compare people and events and their social impact from different periods.
- apply originality and independence of mind and initiative as well as intellectual integrity and maturity.
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Reading List
Batstone, W. Wendell., & Damon, C. (2006). Caesar's Civil war. Oxford University Press.
Cairns, F., & Fantham, E. (eds.) (2003). Caesar against liberty?: perspectives on his autocracy. Francis Cairns.
Fernández-Götz M, Roymans N. (2024). Archaeology of the Roman Conquest: Tracing the Legions, Reclaiming the Conquered. Cambridge University Press.
Fezzi, L. (2020). Crossing the Rubicon: Caesar's Decision and the Fate of Rome. Yale University Press.
Morstein-Marx, R. (2021). Julius Caesar and the Roman people. University of California, Santa Barbara. Cambridge University Press.
Raaflaub, K. A. (2021). Caesar and Genocide: Confronting the Dark Side of Caesar's Gallic Wars. New England Classical Journal, 48.1: 54-80.
Riggsby, A. M. (20212) Caesar in Gaul and Rome: War in Words. University of Texas Press.
Roymans, N. (2019). Conquest, mass violence and ethnic stereotyping: investigating Caesar's actions in the Germanic frontier zone. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 32: 439-458.
Welch, K. & Powell, A. (2009). Julius Caesar as artful reporter the war commentaries as political instruments. Classical Press of Wales.
Westall, R. (2018). Caesar's Civil War: historical reality and fabrication. Brill.
Wyke, M. (ed.) (2006). Julius Caesar in western culture. Blackwell Pub.
B. Brecht (original: 1949; 2016 English edition). The Business Affairs of Mr Julius Caesar. Bloomsbury. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Researching and using evidence: collect, evaluate, and use the best available evidence to analyse and critically comment on historical events from antiquity to the present; use information and knowledge effectively in order to extract meaning from information and to share knowledge across fields, including the use of quantitative skills; have an understanding of contextually relevant ethics and values;
Summarising, interpreting and critiquing: summarise, interpret and critique the work of others by competent use of major theoretical perspectives and concepts in the academic study of war, individual and collective trauma;
Communication: communicate and persuade -- both orally and in writing; articulate and effectively explain information; be sensitive to and understand the diversity in people and different situations, including online; have the ability to produce clear, structured written work;
Personal and intellectual autonomy: be critically self-aware, self-reflective and self-manage in order to fully maximise potential; developing higher-order thinking and sound reasoning. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Consuelo Martino
Tel:
Email: Consuelo.Martino@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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