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Unit information: The Age of Augustus: History and Myth in 2024/25

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name The Age of Augustus: History and Myth
Unit code CLAS37017
Credit points 20
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director Dr. Edwin Shaw
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None,

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This unit will examine the ways in which characters and events of Rome's remote and recent past - from Aeneas to the Battle of Actium - were represented in the literature, art and architecture of the Age of Augustus and will analyse the role of such representations in the creation of the Augustan myth of the birth of a new Golden Age. In so doing, we will explore not simply the relationship between myth and history in the Augustan Age through the texts and monuments of the period, but the ways in which the reception of the resulting images of Augustus - both positive and negative - have impacted on the history of subsequent periods, from Charlemagne to Mussolini in the twentieth century.

The aims of the unit are to:

  • acquire detailed knowledge of the literature, art and architecture of the Augustan period and of selected episodes in the reception of that period
  • enable students to use the knowledge acquired in seminars and through independent research to construct coherent, relevant and critical arguments concerning the interpretative issues raised by the literary and visual sources studied.
  • develop skills in oral and written communication.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate detailed knowledge of the literature, art and architecture of the Augustan period, and of selected episodes in the reception of that period;
  2. critically assess the idea of a coherent age of Augustus, and the uses to which it has been put both during the period and subsequently;
  3. use the knowledge acquired in seminars and through their own research to construct coherent, relevant and persuasive arguments on different aspects of the subject;
  4. demonstrate skills in critical thinking and written communication appropriate to level H/6.

How you will learn

This unit will involve a combination of independent investigative activities, long- and short-form lectures, and discussion. Students will be expected to engage with materials and participate on a weekly basis. Feedback will be provided for both formative and summative assessments, and this will be supported by meetings with tutors.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

3,500 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4].

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS37017).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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