Course Catalogue

Classical Civilisation 1B: Augustan Rome: From Republic to Empire CLASSIC1002

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course introduces the principate of Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE) as a pivotal moment in the political and cultural history of Rome and its subsequent influence.

Timetable

20x1 hours of lectures, 8x1hours of seminar

Requirements of Entry

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Guided commentary (1,800 words) - 70%

■ 2 x multiple choice quizzes (500 words each) - 30% each

 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but extensions to the deadline or can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

■ There is no alternative to the quizzes, but extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustment.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Understand the creation and design of the Principate in the context of the late Republic, its experiments in one-man rule, and the Civil Wars;

■ Explore the literature and art of the Augustan period, above all Virgil's Aeneid, with particular attention to their cultural and political backgrounds.

■ Understand the development of the Principate over the course of Augustus' reign.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Analyse the establishment and development of the Principate over the course of Augustus' reign;

2. Analyse the Principate in relation to the preceding Republican period and its collapse into Civil Wars during the first century BCE;

3. Identify and analyse key texts and artefacts;

4. Place primary source material into its political, intellectual, and cultural contexts;

5. Critically engage with relevant secondary literature.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.