Classics (Classical Civilisation) MA/MA(SocSci)
Classical Civilisation 2B: Empire and Identity CLASSIC2002
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Humanities
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 2 (SCQF level 8)
- Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
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.
Timetable
10x 2hr lectures over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.
10x 1hr seminars over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.
Excluded Courses
CLASSIC2011
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Commentary exercise, 50%
■ Essay, 50%
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 exercise or essay, but extensions to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).
Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.
Course Aims
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;
■ Examine 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.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
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.