| Unit name | Rome after Rome |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST10023 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Donkin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
NONE |
| Co-requisites |
SPECIAL TOPIC PROJECT |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
One of the great cities of the ancient world, Rome outlasted its empire to become one of the most important cultural and political centres of medieval and Early Modern Europe. This unit uses a range of written, visual and archaeological evidence to explore what life was like for the inhabitants of the post-classical city, and how Rome was perceived by those who visited the city or imagined it from afar. In any one year, the unit may trace themes from Late Antiquity onwards or concentrate on a particular period. Possible topics might include the following: Rome as a papal centre and pilgrimage destination; responses to its imperial past and pagan heritage; comparisons with urban life elsewhere in the Italian peninsula; parallels with other major Mediterranean cities such as Constantinople and Jerusalem; and the appeal of ‘romanitas’ elsewhere.
By the end of the unit students should have: 1. identified, analysed, and deepened their understanding of the significance of the important legacy of ancient Rome and its cultural relevance in medieval and early modern Europe; 2. understood the historiographical debates that surround the topic; 3. learned how to work with primary sources; 4. developed their skills in contributing to and learning from discussion in a small-group environment.
Weekly 2-hour seminar Access to tutorial consultation with unit tutor in office hours
2-hour unseen written examination (summative, 100%)
D. J. Birch, Pilgrimage to Rome in the Middle Ages: Continuity and Change (Woodbridge, 1998). C. Bolgia, R. McKitterick and J. Osborne, eds, Rome across Time and Space: Cultural Transmission and the Exchange of Ideas, c.500–1400 (Cambridge, 2011). L. Grig and G. Kelly, Two Romes: Rome and Constantinople in Late Antiquity (Oxford, 2012). R. Krautheimer, Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308 (2nd ed., Princeton, NJ, 2000). C. Stringer, The Renaissance in Rome (Bloomington, 1998). J. Smith, ed., Early Medieval Rome and the Christian West (Boston, 2000).
