01009 - Roman History

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students have a knowledge of main themes and events in Roman history and are able to engage critically with topics and sources concerning politics, institutions, ideology, religion, economy of the period under consideration; they are aware of the main methodologies and practices in historical research and are able to analyze literary and documentary sources, with special attention paid to historiography and epigraphy.

Course contents

This course unit studies Roman history from the archaic period to Late Antiquity. Lectures are structured around four thematic modules:

1. Sources and methods.

2. Roman political and institutional history, with a focus on the establishment of Rome as a global empire; political and social structures and the government of the provinces; culture, religion and ideology.

3. Social history of the Roman world, with a focus on women, gender and subaltern history.

4. Public history, with a focus on representations and uses of Roman history in museums and popular culture.

Readings/Bibliography

 

Students who are attending lectures must prepare the following:

1.Lectures notes  and materials, including sources, maps, images,  and weekly readings. Everything is uploaded on the course unit's virtual space.

2.General historical outline:

G. Geraci, A. Marcone, Storia Romana (Editio Maior) Milano: Mondadori Education 2017. 

3.One book from the following:

F. Rohr Vio, Le custodi del potere. Donne e politica alla fine della Repubblica romana, Roma: Salerno Editrice 2019; L. Capponi, Cleopatra, Bari: Laterza 2021; S. Levin-Richardson, Il lupanare di Pompei. Sesso, classe e genere ai margini della società romana. Roma: Carocci 2020. 

Further instructions on bibliography, readings, sources and how to prepare for the exam are provided in lectures.

Students who are not attending lectures must prepare according to instructions at points 2 and 3 above, and study also the following two historical sources:

Sallustio, La congiura di Catilina, a cura di Lidia Storoni Mazzolani, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli (1976 e seguenti edizioni).

Ottaviano Augusto, Res Gestae, a cura di Luca Canali, Oscar Classici Mondadori (2002 e seguenti edizioni).

Students who are not attending lectures are required to contact the lecturer at least one month before the examination to double check the program.

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars in class with the use of Powerpoint presentations and other materials, which is made available weekly online in pdf format. Active participation to discussions in class is required: time is dedicated to the analysis and discussion of ancient sources, key-issues and topics to facilitate the learning process.

Assessment methods

Oral examination, to evaluate the following:

• knowledge of ancient sources and bibliography studied for the course;
• understanding of the issues and problems analyzed in lectures;
• ability to critically address topics, themes and issues considered in lectures and readings;
• ability to shape an argument in verbal form using appropriate terminology, including technical words.

The following criteria are applied:

• insufficient: very limited to no knowledge of the topics and sources studied in the course unit;
• sufficient (18-24): basic knowledge of topics, materials and sources of the course unit; notional and superficial understanding of the course contents and materials, with very limited ability to critical, independent analysis;
• good (25-27): good knowledge of the course contents and methods; correct interpretations and analyses, although not always fully developed and/or appropriately expressed;
• very good to excellent (28-30 cum laude): full command of the subject; interpretations of sources and issues according to correct methodology with high degree of critical, personal analysis. Excellent ability to develop arguments in oral form with use of technical, appropriate vocabulary.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint, PDF, images, maps and videos.

Everything will be uploaded on Unibo virtual platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ).

 

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the university office in charge of these issues (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. Agreed adjustments and adaptations must then be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam) to the lecturer, who checks that they are in line with the learning objectives of the course unit.

Office hours

See the website of Roberta Mazza