Roman History

A.Y. 2024/2025
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
L-ANT/03
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with an exhaustive preparation as to the development of the history of ancient Rome from its foundation to the fall of the Empire, by focusing especially on political, institutional and socio-economical problems, and with a critical approach to the confronted issues.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge
Upon successful completion of the course students will have acquired a detailed knowledge of the most important and significant figures and facts of the history of ancient Rome in their related chronological and geographical contexts.

Skills
The students shall also be capable of conveying historical information in a clear and effective way, by employing appropriate linguistic instruments such as adequate language and specific vocabulary.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the late antiquity.

The course is organized into three 20-hour units, A, B and C.

Part A: Rome from its foundation to the 2nd century BC
Part A will start with an introduction to the ancient evidence - literary, epigraphical and archaeological sources - which are normally employed for the reconstruction of the history of Rome. Special attention will be paid to historiographical traditions, which will be outlined by references to the most important ancient historians. Thereafter, following a brief excursus devoted to the mythical origins of Rome, the course will treat the monarchic age of Rome, by focusing on the most relevant facts and figures of that period. After outlining the Etruscan period of Rome, the course will proceed to analyse the most relevant themes regarding the fall of the monarchy and the subsequent birth of the Republican state.
Following this part, a section of the unit will be devoted to a short detailed introduction to the principal Roman political and administrative institutions and figures, such as magistrates, assemblies, etc., which will help students better comprehend the development of the history of the city.
Afterwards, the course will focus on the period from the 5th century BC to the Hannibalic war, by paying a special attention to the following themes:
· The patrician-plebeian conflict and the emergence of the nobilitas.
· Early Roman expansionism in Latium and central Italy.
· Relationships between Rome and the Latin League.
· The Samnitic Wars.
· Pyrrhus' campaign in Italy and Sicily and the prodromes of the First Punic War.
· Roman expansionism in southern Italy.
· The First Punic War.
· The Second Punic War and its consequences on Roman expansionistic strategy in the Italian peninsula.
· Roman expansionism outside Italy, especially in Iberia.
· The creation of the first provinces and the implementation of the first administrative measures to manage newly incorporated territories.
· The development of the political clash in Rome between 3rd and 2nd century BC.
Whilst studying the early stages of Roman expansionism in central Italy, particular attention will be paid to describing the main administrative tools that Rome employed to control its new territory, such as strategy of colonization, pacts, foedera, etc.

Part B: From the late Republic to the early Principate
Part B will be devoted to the analysis of the main events of the history of Rome between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, by especially focusing on the international role that Rome progressively took on in the Mediterranean area.
Among the most significant facts of the period under analysis, the course will delve into the following themes:
· Early diplomatic-political contacts between Rome and Greek communities.
· Early diplomatic-political contacts between Rome and Hellenistic kingdoms: the Macedonian Wars and the Syrian War.
· Consequences of Roman expansionism: the agrarian crisis and Ti. Gracchus' and C. Gracchus' reforms.
· The emergence of C. Marius and the reform of the Roman army.
· Relationships between Rome and Italic communities until, during and after the Social War.
· The civil wars and Sulla's reform of the Roman state.
· The development of political life in Rome from the first triumvirate to Caesar's death.
· Octavianus' emergence and the foundation of the principate.
· Main characteristics of the Augustan principate: political reforms, new cultural impulses, further expansionism of the Roman empire.
· Main aspects of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
· The fall of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the beginning of the Flavian power.

Part C: Evolution of Rome's history from the second century CE to the dawn of the fourth century CE.
Part C will focus on the analysis of the most significant aspects of Rome's history in the period from the beginning of the 2nd century AD to the Constantinian age.
After recalling the circumstances that brought Nerva to power and the adoption of Trajan, the course will retrace the most distinctive features of the principalities of the second and third centuries A.D., leading up to the dawn of the fourth century A.D. with the establishment of Severan power. Particular attention will be paid to the political, military, economic, administrative and cultural aspects of the period, thanks in part to the reading of passages from ancient, epigraphic and literary sources.
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites for admission.
Teaching methods
The course will be offered in a lecture format. Each lecture will feature the use of slides, which will contribute to a better illustration of the treated themes, thanks to schemes, geographical maps, reproductions of inscriptions, archaeological materials and excerpts from ancient literary sources (in translation). The slides containing literary sources will be uploaded on the platform Ariel and will be the subject of questions during the final exam (only for attending students).
During the course special attention will be paid to the utilization of specific (technical) vocabulary, so that students can learn to use it in an appropriate way when describing, for example, the political institutions of Rome.
Should students have doubts on the treated themes, they are encouraged to ask questions during and after the lectures.
Attending students are encouraged to attend lectures on a regular basis, as during the course themes will be treated that are not available in the suggested bibliography. This does not apply to non-attending students: they will find additional material in the supplementary bibliographical references.
Teaching Resources
Bibliographical references for attending students:

Part A:
1) Lecture notes and related slides (Parte A)
2) Handbook: G. Geraci, A. Marcone, Storia Romana, Le Monnier, Firenze (Not the "editio maior").

Part B:
1) Lecture notes and related slides (Part B)
2) C. Letta, S. Segenni (a cura di), Roma e le sue province. Dalla prima guerra punica a Diocleziano, Carocci, pp. 19-86 and five chapters at students' choice.

Part C:
1) Lecture notes and related slides (Part C)
2) C. Letta, Tra umano e divino: forme e limiti del culto degli imperatori nel mondo romano, Agorà 2021.

Attending students aiming to take the 6 credits exam must attend Part A and Part B, study the related lectures notes, texts (available on the Ariel platform) and bibliographical material for Parts A and B.
Attending students that will take the 6 credits exam are exonerated from attending Part C and from studying the related material.
Attending students who will take the 9 credits exam must attend Parts A, B and C, and study the related lecture notes, texts (available on Ariel) and bibliographical material for the Parts A, B and C.


Bibliographical indications for not attending students:

Part A:
1) Handbook: G. Geraci, A. Marcone, Storia Romana, Le Monnier, Firenze (Not the "editio maior").
2) The following articles (all articles are available in A. Schiavone, A. Giardina, Storia di Roma, Einaudi, Torino 1999):
Filippo Cassola, Lo scontro fra patrizi e plebei e la formazione della nobilitas, pp. 145-176.
Emilio Gabba, Il processo d'integrazione dell'Italia nel II secolo, pp. 281-298.
Umberto Laffi, Il sistema di alleanze italico, pp. 299-314.

Part B:
1) C. Letta, S. Segenni (a cura di), Roma e le sue province. Dalla prima guerra punica a Diocleziano, Carocci, pp. 19-86 and five provinces at students' choice.
2) The following articles (all articles are available in A. Schiavone, A. Giardina, Storia di Roma, Einaudi, Torino 1999):
Werner Eck, La riforma dei gruppi dirigenti. L'ordine senatorio e l'ordine equestre, pp. 376-418.
Elio Lo Cascio, Forme dell'economia imperiale, pp. 495-540.
Andrea Giardina, La formazione dell'Italia provinciale, pp. 549-566.

Part C:
1) C. Letta, Tra umano e divino: forme e limiti del culto degli imperatori nel mondo romano, Agorà 2021.
2) The following articles (all articles are available in A. Schiavone, A. Giardina, Storia di Roma, Einaudi, Torino 1999):
Aldo Schiavone, La struttura nascosta. Una grammatica dell'economia romana, pp. 711-774.
Augusto Fraschetti, Le feste, il circo, i calendari, pp. 805-824.
Eva Cantarella, La vita delle donne, pp. 867-894.

Not attending students planning to take the 6 credits exam must study the bibliographical material for Parts A and B.
Not attending students that will take the 9 credits exam must study the bibliographical material for Parts A, B and C.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Assessment will consist of an oral examination, in which students will be evaluated as to the knowledge and the competencies they acquired during the course and in the subsequent preparation for the exam.
On the one hand, it will be assessed, by means of a series of questions related to different periods of the history of Rome, to what extent students are able to correctly frame facts and figures into their historical contexts; in this respect, students are expected to have acquired precise and detailed knowledge of the most relevant themes of Roman history as well as of specific episodes and problems of a political-institutional nature.
On the other hand, students are expected to organize a coherent and logical discourse, in which they should present themes and problems of Roman history with correct historical, chronological and geographical references, and by means of appropriate (also technical) vocabulary.

Attending students taking the 6 credits exam will be examined on the lecture notes, on the texts and on the bibliographical material of Units A and B.
Attending students taking the 9 credits exam will be examined on the lecture notes, on the texts and on the bibliographical material of Units A, B and C.

Non-attending students taking the 6 credits exam will be examined on the bibliographical material of Units A and B.
Non-attending students taking the 9 credits exam will be examined on the bibliographical material of Units A, B and C.

International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-ANT/03 - ROMAN HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ANT/03 - ROMAN HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ANT/03 - ROMAN HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
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