This course explores the social, political, religious and economic history of the Roman Empire during the first century AD, examining how the Romans managed their Empire and considering themes of slavery, gender, imperialism, and the place of the self in the wider world.

10x 1hr online seminars and 21x 1hr online lectures, over 10 weeks.

CLASSIC2002

None

Take home commentary exercise, 50%

Essay, 50%

The course aims to:

■ Explore the Roman Empire from a multidisciplinary perspective, considering literary, historical and material evidence to understand the complex issues of identity and power that make it such an enduring and influential object of study

■ Understand how the inhabitants of the Roman Empire created and contested their identities, with particular attention to marginalised groups and the processes of marginalisation;

■ Explore the literary and non-literary texts and material culture of the period and their capacity to illuminate historical and cultural topics;

■ Explore the influence of the Roman Empire on the ideology of empire in later eras, its role in the evolution of the disciplines of Classics and Ancient History, and its potential to decolonise those disciplines.

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

■ Explain and analyse a range of factors which shaped the lived experience of the inhabitants of the Roman empire, including slavery, gender, language, religion, education and disability;

■ Identify and analyse the set texts and artefacts;

■ Place primary source material into its social, political and religious contexts;

■ Engage productively with relevant secondary literature.

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