C9563 - IL DOMINIO DEL MARE. LE TALASSOCRAZIE NEL MEDITERRANEO ANTICO

Learning outcomes

The course deals with the theme of human domination of the sea, and through the sea, in the Mediterranean between the 3rd millennium BCE and the 5th century CE. Through sources read in translation, the historical analysis focuses on explorations, the relationship with the environment and climate, human mobility, trade and slavery, technological transfer, and conflicts, understood as phenomena made possible and developed through navigation in Egypt, the Near East, and especially in the Greek and Roman world. By the end of the course, students will learn the main dynamics and events; they will be able to independently interpret and contextualize fundamental literary and material sources; and they will acquire a broad, critical, and integrated historical understanding of the ancient Mediterranean as a living and interconnected space, animated by exchanges, contacts, and innovations.

Course contents

The course examines the major historical developments of the Mediterranean from the end of Prehistory to Late Antiquity, with particular emphasis on the period from the third millennium BCE to the fifth century CE. Its central interpretative framework is the relationship between human societies and the sea, focusing in particular on the concepts of thalassocracy (sea-power) and imperialism as they developed in Egypt, the Near East, Crete, Greece, and Rome. Particular attention will be devoted to the Bronze Age Aegean, Archaic and Classical Greece, and the Hellenistic Mediterranean.

The course addresses the following main themes:

• Navigation, exploration, discovery, and ancient conceptions of Mediterranean space;
• Contacts and conflicts among peoples and cultures;
• Exchanges: trade, piracy, slavery;
• Maritime dominion through economic, cultural, and/or military hegemony;
• Imperialism, state formation, and international relations in antiquity;
• The principal models, debates, and critiques concerning the concepts of the state, thalassocracy, imperialism, civilisation, and civilising processes in the ancient world.

The course assumes prior knowledge of the general historical framework of the period under consideration, normally acquired during a Bachelor's degree in the humanities or a related discipline.

By the end of the course, students will have developed a specialised understanding of the historical and cultural dynamics that shaped state formation in the ancient Mediterranean and laid the foundations for subsequent historical developments.

Attendance is strongly recommended. Students who do not attend classes will be required to complete additional readings.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Class notes and materials.

2) All the following readings:

• E. Bianco, “Thalassokratia: un concetto, molti nomi”, Historiká. Studi di storia greca e romana 6 (2016), pp. 97-109.
• D. Engels, “’The Rule of the Sea is indeed a Great Matter.’ Mediterranean Identities and the Idea of Thalassocracy”, Latomus 75.2 (2016), 289-313.
• D. Abulafia, Il Grande Mare. Storia del Mediterraneo, 2013 (o edd. ss.): Introduzione, Parte I, Parte II (pp. 9-233).

Non attending students: in addition to 2) above, one among:

• Panoramica generale/comparativa: P. Horden, S. Kinoshita (Eds), A Companion to Mediterranean History, Wiley-Blackwell 2014: chs 1 (Cheyette), 2 (Squatriti), 3 (Broodbank), 4 (Purcell), 9 (Abulafia), 10 (Gertwagen), 13 (Bintliff), 17 (Rotman).
• Età dl Ferro: J.M. Hall, J.F. Osborne (Eds), The Connected Iron Age. Interregional Networks in the Eastern Mediterranean, 900–600 BCE, University of Chicago Press 2022.
• Storia economica: J.G. Manning, The Open Sea. The Economic Life of the Ancient Mediterranean World from the Iron Age to the Rise of Rome, Princeton University Press 2018.
• Triere greca: J.S. Morrison, J.F. Coates, N.B. Rankov, The Athenian Trireme: The History and Construction of an Ancient Greek Warship, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press 2000.
• Navi ellenistiche: W.M. Murray, The Age of Titans. The Rise and Fall of the Great Hellenistic Navies, Oxford University Press 2012.

Suggested reading, recommended to students in search of a reference tool for the historical context:

• G. Geraci, A. Marcone (a c. di), Storia antica. Dalla Preistoria al primo espandersi dell’Islam (Milano, Mondadori Le Monnier Università, 2021 - di imminente pubblicazione).

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Students (attending and non-) with specific interests can propose/request any variation to the bibliography above, as long as it is relevant to the course.

Teaching methods

Class lectures with PowerPoints/handouts (30 hours).

Assessment methods

Normally, the student will be required to answer and discuss 3 questions on any theme discussed in class and/or in the bibliography (or bibliography only for non-attending students).

The assessment consists in an oral examination (individual, in person) aimed to assess:

• the basic knowledge of the course programme;
• the understanding of issues and topics discussed in class;
• the familiarity with the historical development of the discipline;
• the ability to set artefacts/issues in their proper context and to discuss them in a critical perspective;
• the quality of the oral expression and the competence in logical argumentation.

The final evaluation (in fractions of 30) will follow these guidelines:

• fail: lacking basic knowledge and ability to provide correct interpretations of the course topics and issues.
• pass: possess of basic knowledge; mostly correct interpretation, but often lacking precision and independent thought.
• good: average knowledge; correct interpretation, but somewhat lacking precision and independent thought.
• excellent: above-average knowledge; correct interpretation displaying precision and independent thought. Excellent oral expression.

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Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the dedicated office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students): the staff shall propose acceptable adjustments to the programme. All requests for adaptations must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer for assessment in light of the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

PowerPoints, PDFs of sources, images and maps.

All materials will be made available to the students during the classes, through the course website on the Unibo Virtuale platform: https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Zaccarini