CX110-15 Roman Culture and Society
Introductory description
This module introduces students to the study of Roman Culture and Society at university level. No prior knowledge is assumed. The module covers the Roman world from the late first century BC to the early third century AD, exploring the impact on Roman society of the emergence of sole rulers and dynastic powers, and the gradual opening up of society to provincials.
Module aims
The module considers questions such as: How did cultural change occur, and to what extent was there resistance in the provinces to adopting a Roman way of life? How did people in the provinces know that they were living in the Roman empire? To what extent can we widen our picture of society beyond the sphere of the élite, who dominate our literary sources? These issues will be explored through a whole range of source material (literature, archaeology, coins, inscriptions, art, and architecture) and students will be encouraged to form their own views on both the usefulness and drawbacks of painting a picture of Roman culture and society from them.
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.
Week 1 The City of Rome Week 2 Trade and Economy Week 3 Food and Drink Week 4 Family and familia Week 5 Citizens, Freed & Slaves; Week 6 reading week Week 7 Patronage Week 8 Death & Burial Week 9 Death and Burial, Week 10: Roman religions The exact topics may vary from year to year. Usually, there will be 9 lectures + 3 seminars. Academic study skills will be embedded in each lecture. In some years a museum trip may be arranged for week 6, shared with other modules in the Department.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- - Develop a broad knowledge of Roman Culture and Society from the late first century BC to early third century AD, laying the foundations for further study.
- - Show understanding of the different sources available for the study of Roman Culture and Society, and the methodologies to approach these
- - Cultivation of key research skills necessary for the study of Classics and Ancient History
- - Development of critical thinking skills and analytical skills
Indicative reading list
- TalisAspire – includes a shortened bibliography for the module
- Lecture handouts and Powerpoint presentations are on Moodle.
- Scanned course extracts for this module are available. See the module web page for further details.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
- Develop a broad knowledge of Roman culture and society from the late first century BC to early third century AD, laying the foundations for further study.
- Understanding of the different sources available for the study of Roman culture and society, and the methodologies to approach these
- Cultivation of key research skills necessary for the study of Classics and Ancient History
- Development of critical thinking skills and analytical skills
Transferable skills
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Active Lifelong Learning
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- ICT Literacy
- Professionalism
Study time
| Type | Required | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 2 hours (12%) | |
| Seminars | 3 sessions of 1 hour (2%) | |
| Tutorials | 1 session of 30 minutes (0%) | |
| External visits | (0%) | 1 session of 2 hours |
| Private study | 68 hours 30 minutes (45%) | |
| Assessment | 60 hours (40%) | |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Reading and independent research required for the module, in preparation for seminars, assessed coursework and skills portfolio
Costs
| Category | Description | Funded by | Cost to student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field trips, placements and study abroad |
museum field trip |
Student | £30.00 |
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | |
|---|---|---|
| Skills portfolio | 50% | 30 hours |
|
A skills portfolio testing the academic research skills acquiring during the module: self-evaluation, sample of lecture notes, extract key points from a secondary chapter, website evaluation, keyword search: how to use databases, using objects, using a commentary, plagiarism exercise, footnote exercise, bibliography exercise; essay plan. |
||
| Assessed Essay | 50% | 30 hours |
|
A 2,500-word essay. |
||
Feedback on assessment
Feedback on the coursework will be provided via written feedback published on Tabula and via one-to-one personal feedback sessions offered to the students.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of UCXA-Q820 Undergraduate Classical Civilisation
- Year 1 of UCXA-Q821 Undergraduate Classical Civilisation with Study in Europe
This module is Core optional for:
- Year 1 of UCXA-VV16 Undergraduate Ancient History and Classical Archaeology
- Year 1 of UCXA-VV17 Undergraduate Ancient History and Classical Archaeology (Part-Time)
- Year 1 of UCXA-Q82P Undergraduate Classical Civilisation
This module is Optional for:
- Year 1 of UCXA-VV16 Undergraduate Ancient History and Classical Archaeology
- Year 1 of UCXA-VV18 Undergraduate Ancient History and Classical Archaeology with Study in Europe
This module is Core option list A for:
- Year 1 of UCXA-Q800 BA in Classics
- Year 1 of UCXA-Q802 Undergraduate Classics (Latin) with Study in Europe
This module is Core option list B for:
- Year 1 of UCXA-QQ37 Undergraduate Classics and English