Introductory description

This module focuses on the history of the High Roman Empire, and political, cultural and social developments in
Roman society in this period.

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.

Illustrative Syllabus: Week 1: Introduction / The reign of Antoninus Pius Week 2: The reign of Marcus Aurelius / The
Antonine Plague Week 3: Commodus / In praise of the 'Golden Age': Panegyric, Aristides and Fronto Week 4: The
Civil War of AD 193 / Essay Writing Workshop Week 5: The reign of Septimius Severus / The Severan transformation
of Lepcis Magna Week 6: Reading Week Week 7:The reign of Caracalla / Roman citizenship and the Constitutio
Antoniniana Week 8: Elagabalus / Imperial women Week 9: Severus Alexander / Severan literature Week 10: The
Historia Augusta / The Severan Transformation of Rome Two seminars: Did Severus Alexander win the Persian War?
and The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

Learning outcomes

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

• Students should possess a knowledge of the key political, cultural and social developments in the Roman Empire in the period from Antoninus Pius to Severus Alexander, and have a good understanding of different types of ancient media (literary genres, sculpture, etc) and how to approach them.
• Students should be able to communicate their ideas clearly and concisely in written and oral form.
• Students should be able to critically analyse different types of media, both textual and visual, as well as other scholarship. They should be able to test hypotheses and sustain a reasoned argument.
• Students should be able to use libraries and online databases to research a particular subject or object. They should be able to draw upon images, maps, and other diagrams and critically assess these. They should be able to organise and present research in a clear and convincing manner, supported by evidence.
• Students should have an understanding of how to communicate their ideas and research to a general audience.

Indicative reading list

Beckmann, M. (2011). The column of Marcus Aurelius: the genesis and meaning of a Roman imperial monument.
Chapel Hill. Birley, A.R. (1999). Septimius Severus: the African emperor. London. Bowie, E. & Elsner, J. (2009)
Philostratus. Cambridge. Champlin, E. 1980. Fronto and Antonine Rome. Cambridge, Mass. Ewald, B.C. & Norena,
C.F. The emperor and Rome: space, representation, and ritual. Cambridge. Dodgeon, M.H. & Lieu, S.C. (1991) The
Roman eastern frontier and the Persian Wars (AD226-363). London. Hankinson, R.J. (2008). The Cambridge
Companion to Galen. Cambridge. Harris, W.V. (ed) (2008). Aelius Aristides between Greece, Rome and the gods.
Leiden. Hekster, O. (2002). Commodus: an emperor at the crossroads. Gieben. Hekster, O. & Zair, N. (2008). Rome
and its Empire AD 193-284. Edinburgh. Icks, M. (2011). The crimes of Elagabalus: the life and legacy of Rome's
decadent boy emperor. London. Millar, F. (1964). A Study of Cassius Dio. Oxford. Potter, D.S. (2006). A companion to
the Roman Empire. Malden, MA. Rowan, C. (2012) Under Divine Auspices: The Visualisation of Imperial Power in the
Severan Period, AD 193-235. Cambridge. Swain, S., Harrison, S. & J. Elsner. (2007). Severan Culture. Cambridge.
Syme, R. (1983). Historia Augusta Papers. Oxford. Syme, R. (1971). Emperors and biography: studies in the Historia
Augusta. Thomas, E. (2007). Monumentality and the Roman Empire: architecture in the Antonine Age. Oxford.
Varner, E. (2004). Mutilation and transformation: damnatio memoriae and Roman imperial portraiture. Leiden. Ward-
Perkins, J.B. (1993). The Severan buildings of Lepcis Magna. London.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

By the end of the module, students:

• should possess a knowledge of the key political, cultural and social developments in the Roman Empire in the period from Antoninus Pius to Severus Alexander (AD 138-235).

• should be able to critically analyse different types of media, both textual and visual, as well as the views of modern scholarship. They should be able to test hypotheses and sustain a reasoned argument

• develop an improved awareness of how this period of history has been constructed by scholars, artists, politicians and others, from the Renaissance to the present day

• have enhanced research, writing and communication skills, both in terms of an academic voice and writing for a
  general audience

Transferable skills

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