Unit information: Letter Writing in the Roman World in 2014/15

Unit name	Letter Writing in the Roman World
Unit code	CLAS37012
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Sandwell
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None,
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

Letter writing can be seen as the ancient equivalent of email. It allowed individuals and groups across the Roman empire to communicate with one another and was a crucial means by which the business of the empire got done and personal relationships maintained despite barriers of distance. This unit will explore both the literary form of ancient letters and the various roles and functions they served within the Roman world. It will cover letters written by Romans and Greeks as well as those sent by Christian groups or individuals. Along the way we will consider: what letters tell us about social and family life and the business of empire; philosophical and spiritual letters; letters of reference and recommendation; issues of communication, delivery and networking; letters and Church formation. We will explore the important role played by letters in the Roman empire and the particular character of letter-writing in this period.

The aims of this unit are to:

• develop the skill of reading Greek, Roman and Christian letters in a way that recognizes the values and social customs of the contexts in which they were produced

• enable students to acquire detailed knowledge of the different functions that letters and letter-writing served within the Roman empire and of how questions of style relate to function

• develop and refine skills in constructing coherent, relevant and sophisticated critical arguments, and in relating readings of letters to wider theoretical issues

• develop and enhance skills in oral and written communication

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students should have:

• developed the skill of reading Greek, Roman and Christian letters in a way that recognizes the values and social customs of the contexts in which they were produced

• acquired detailed knowledge of the different functions that letters and letter-writing served within the Roman empire and of how questions of style relate to function

• developed and refined their skills in constructing coherent, relevant and sophisticated critical arguments, and in relating their readings of letters to wider theoretical issues

• developed and enhanced their skills in oral and written communication by contributing to discussion in seminars and producing an essay and a written examination.

Teaching Information

Seminars.

Assessment Information

One essay of 3,000 words (50%) and one examination of 90 minutes (50%).

Reading and References

S. Bradbury, Selected letters of Libanius: from the age of Constantine and Julian / translated with an introduction and notes, 2004.

C. Conybeare, Paulinus Noster: Self and Symbols in the Letters of Paulinus of Nola, 2000.

J. Hall, Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters 2009.

I. Marchesi, The Art of Pliny's Letters: A Poetics of Allusion in the Private Correspondence, 2008.

R. Morello and A. D. Morrison (eds.), Ancient Letters: Classical and Late Antique Epistolography, 2007.

J. Muir, Life and letters in the ancient Greek world, 2009.