75656 - STORIA DELLE PROVINCE ROMANE (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students are familiar with the historical development of the main Roman administrative structure outside Italy, from the Middle Republic to the Arab conquest of the Roman East. They know the main sources necessary for the study of the provinces and are able to distinguish the major structural differences across various historical periods and regions of the Empire. The course includes in-depth examinations of selected case studies.

Course contents

The Near East in the Imperial Age – Syria/Iudaea/Arabia

The course focuses on the history of the Near East in the imperial age, from Augustus to Diocletian, with particular attention to the various phases in which Rome's domination of the area developed. The administrative and military structure of the area is illustrated through historiographical and documentary evidence read and discussed in class.

The detailed programme, with the list of documents that will be read and commented upon, will be made available at the beginning of the course.

Readings/Bibliography

• C. Letta, S. Segenni (eds.), Roma e le sue province: Dalla prima guerra punica a Diocleziano, Studi superiori 967, Carocci: Roma, 2015.

Non-attending students must add to the programme:

• T. Gnoli, The Interplay of Roman and Iranian Titles in the Roman East (1st-3rd Century A. D.) (Sitzungsberichte der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, philosoph.-hist. Klasse, 765. Bd.; Veröffentlichungen zur Iranistik 43). Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2007.

Recommended further readings:

• G. W. Bowersock, Roman Arabia, Cambridge(MA)–London 1983
• F. Millar, The Roman Near East, 31 BC-AD 337, Cambridge(MA)–London 1993

NOTICE: Greek and Latin texts will be read and commented upon in detail in class. Non-attending students must take particular care of this part independently, drawing on the commentaries available in the critical editions of the various passages that will be read in class. For this reason, attendance of the course is strongly recommended.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is advised to contact promptly the responsible University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ) and the lecturer, in order to find together the most effective strategies for attending the lectures and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

During the lectures, the ancient texts and the relevant documentary material will be contextualised, translated, discussed and commented upon.

Assessment methods

A student is considered attending if they take part in at least 75% of the lectures.

The assessment, through an oral interview, aims to ascertain:

• knowledge of the lines of development of the history of the Roman provinces, from its origins to Late Antiquity, and of the institutional aspects of the Roman world;
• knowledge of the methodology for analysing sources and ancient documentation, also on the basis of the interpretations of modern scholarship;
• the ability to use such knowledge to reconstruct critically events, problems and themes of the history of the Roman provinces, also in the light of the lines of enquiry developed in class or of materials prepared independently;
• the ability to present orally.

Use of generative Artificial Intelligence in the examination: As regards the assessment of learning, the use of AI is prohibited. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity. The examination consists, in fact, of an oral interview, whose purpose is to ascertain directly the outcome of the student's study and their personal command of the contents.

Grading criteria:

Excellent or very good mark:

• thorough and analytical presentation of the historical events and institutional themes in all three answers;
• specific and critical reference to the sources underlying the reconstruction and to the key issues of scholarly debate;
• an organic, synthetic view of cross-cutting themes;
• command of expression and of specific terminology.

Good/fair mark:

• concise presentation and comment on the events and themes proposed in all three answers;
• constant reference to the sources and to scholarly debate, albeit in an essential form;
• awareness of the lines of development of cross-cutting themes;
• correct language, even if not always appropriate.

Sufficient mark:

• presentation of the basic elements of the examination material with some limited gaps in one of the questions;
• critical analysis of the sources only when prompted by the examiner;
• uncertainty in the frame of reference when assessing the lines of historical development, or insecurity in correctly placing cross-cutting themes;
• partially inappropriate language – provided it is correct.

Insufficient mark:

• gaps in the knowledge of events and lines of historical development in more than one question;
• lack of ability in the critical analysis of sources, gaps in the knowledge of the sources and of the methods of analysis;
• poor orientation within the overall frame of reference and limited ability to place cross-cutting themes and problems; inappropriate or incorrect language.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: they are advised to contact promptly the responsible University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ): the office will propose to the students concerned any adjustments, which must in any case be submitted, 15 days in advance, for the approval of the lecturer, who will assess their appropriateness also in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

During the academic year, examination sessions are scheduled in the following months: [verify examination calendar 2026/2027]

• January

• February

• March

• April

• June

• July

• September

• October

• December

Teaching tools

The course will consist of lectures given directly by the lecturer and will occasionally make use of projections, presentations and slides, as well as of the distribution of photocopied texts. All material projected or otherwise distributed in class will be made available online through a link placed on the course web page at the end of the course.

In preparing for the examination, students are free to make use, responsibly and at their own initiative, of generative Artificial Intelligence tools as an aid to individual study (summaries, outlines, self-assessment paths). The oral interview ascertains the learning outcome and the effectiveness of the study method, regardless of the tools employed in preparation.

Office hours

See the website of Tommaso Gnoli