Introductory description

This module introduces students to the study of ancient history at university level. No prior knowledge is assumed. The module covers the Greek world from the 6th-4th centuries BC and the Roman Republic before 49 BC.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Term 1: The Greek World (MS)

Week 1: Introduction and welcome to IGRH (CR and MS – a joint intro, focusing on what is
History, what forms it takes, who is and isn’t represented, methodologies for writing history etc)
Week 2: The 6th century BC
Week 3: The 6th century BC through archaeological sources
Week 4: How to write a Chapter/Article review + Seminar 1: Methodologies for doing History
Week 5: The 5th century BCE via Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon
Week 6: Combined IGRH/RCS/GCS museum trip (no lecture) + Seminar 2: Dealing with
inscriptions and coins
Week 7: The 5th century BC through inscriptions and coins
Week 8: The 4th century BC as the forgotten century + Article/Chapter Review Hand in
Week 9: The 4th century through literary sources
Week 10: Trends of historiography in scholarship on ancient Greece + future directions

Assessment:
25% Article/Chapter Review – Review of a key text (journal article or book chapter) from a short
choice selection.

Term 2: The Roman Republic (CR)

Week 1: Material vs Myth: Writing the history of Rome
Week 2: Rome under the Kings
Week 3: Who’s who in the Roman world? An introduction to prosopography (prep for assessment)+ gobbet writing (2 hr lecture) + 2 hour seminar Week 4: The Republic: Society and Government Week 5: Rome and the Hellenistic World: Roman Expansion and its causes Week 6: Roman Republican coinage (1 hr lecture) +2 hour seminar Week 7: The effects of war: the Gracchi and changing Roman culture Week 8: Marius, Sulla and the Social War Week 9: When does the Republic fall and the Empire begin? Pompey and Caesar. Week 10: Topic set by student vote in Week 1 of Term 2 2x 2 hour seminars focused on Wikipedia editing. Contributing to the work of the Women’s Classical Committee to ensure equal representation of female historians/historical individuals on Wikipedia as well as BME individuals and other underrepresented groups. Preferably these should within the Teaching Grid in the Library with Chromebooks supplied. Assessment: 1x 25% Prosopography Exercise (including source dossier, gobbet and assessment of an individual’s life) Term 3 Week 1: Exam essay practice (an essay set to be written within exam conditions, i.e. 45 mins) + exam prep (what to focus on/particular questions) (CR) Week 2: Exam revision (MS) Week 3: Exam revision (MS) + practice essay returns (CR) Assessment: 1 x 50% exam (2 gobbets + 2 essays)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• - To gain a knowledge of Greek history from the 6th-4th centuries BC and the Roman Republic before 49 BC.
• - To develop an understanding of the different forms history can take, and the factors that affect the creation of history.
• - To cultivate independent research skills.
• - To foster the ability to critically engage with primary and secondary sources in both text and online form.
• - To develop critical thinking skills and analytical skills.

Indicative reading list

See Talis Aspire

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

• to gain a knowledge of Greek history from the 6th-4th centuries BC and the Roman Republic before 49 BC.
• to develop an understanding of the different forms history can take, and the factors that affect the creation of history
• to cultivate independent research skills
• to foster the ability to critically engage with primary and secondary sources in both text and online form
• to develop critical thinking skills and analytical skills

Transferable skills

• Critical thinking
• problem solving
• active lifelong learning
• communication
• information literacy
• ICT literacy
• professionalism