The Romans and their World

None

Contact hours with teacher:

- participation in lectures - 30 hrs

- consultations- 5 hrs

Self-study hours:

- preparation for lectures – 20 hrs

- reading literature- 20 hrs

Altogether: 75 hrs (3 ECTS)

Student

W1: has basic knowledge of political and social history of Rome from the founding of the City to the fall of the Western Roman Empire

W2: possesses knowledge of of the main social groups in Rome and the principles of governance during the republic and empire

W3: is familiar with the basic concepts of Roman political and social life

W4: is acquainted with basic knowledge about the structure and functioning of the Roman army in that period.

Student

U1: is able to indicate the stages of Roman expansion

U2: is capable to identify the rulers of the Roman Empire

U3: has basic skills in in listing the most important events in the history of ancient Rome

U4: can analyse the reasons for the fall of Rome

Learning outcomes - social competencies Student

K1: understands the importance of ancient Rome for the development of Western civilization

K2: understands the need to study the history of ancient Rome

K3: is well prepared to point out the achievements of the Romans

Expository teaching methods:

- informative lecture

- display

- exhibition

- participatory lecture

The lecture aims to present the evolution of Rome from the founding of the city to the fall of the Western Empire. The student learns the main events of the history of Rome, the political and social structures of ancient Rome and the main achievements of the Romans.

The story of ancient Rome is a story of evolution, of how a civilization’s ablity to adapt and dominate can lead to its survival for over 1000 years. Rome began as a small village on central Italy’s Tiber river. In the coming centuries it grew into an empire that stretched from the north Atlantic all the way to Persian Gulf.The lifespan of ancient Rome can be divided into three major periods, the regal, the republican and the imperial. During the regal period, Rome was monarchical and ruled by the succession of about seven kings. Rome’s first king, according to legend, was a man named Romulus. He and his twin brother Remus are said to have founded Rome in 753 BC. In 509 BC, Rome adopted a republican system of governance in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually elected representatives called praetors, who were later called consuls. The imperial period followed. It was characterized by the rise of the Roman Empire, and notorious leaders such as Octavian, Rome’s first emperor, who issued in an era of peace, and Nero who, some scholars believe, was Rome’s cruelest emperor. Rome’s focus and pride in its military was vital for the civilization’s growth, and this ethos was evident as early as the regal period when Rome was only a small village. Still, Rome slowly conquered and annexed neighboring peoples. This slow and steady expansion lead to the Roman’s domination of the Italian peninsula, and the entire Mediterranean Sea, where they conquered the Greeks, the Egyptians, and Carthaginians. This massive scale and growing populous necessitated advancements in Roman engineering. Aqueducts were constructed, which increased the public access to water, helped improve public health, and paved the way for Rome’s famed bath houses. A 50,000 mile long road system was built as well. While made originally for the military, it facilitated the movement of people and ideas throughout the empire. This transmission of ideas and increased contact with divers cultures also enabled other aspects of Roman culture to evolve. A key to Rome’s success and longevity was the empire’s inclusion of cultures from the lands they conquered.

- Beard M., SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, 2015.

- Beard M., The Roman Triumph, Harvard 2007.

- Christiansen E., A History of Rome, Aarhus 1996.

Assessment methods:

- participation in lecture - 75%

- activity - 25%

not applicable