Ancient Sources (Written Evidence): Roman Historical Writing
Module title | Ancient Sources (Written Evidence): Roman Historical Writing |
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Module code | CLA1303 |
Academic year | 2020/1 |
Credits | 15 |
Module staff | Dr Irene Salvo (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
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Module description
The Roman writers Livy, Sallust and Tacitus created some of the most impressive literary masterpieces that survive from antiquity, and they also constitute our main historical sources for Roman history from its mythical origins, through the rise and fall of the Republic, to the height of the empire at the end of the first century AD; their works are a must-read for all students of the ancient world. All three lived and wrote during periods of political crisis and upheaval, and their works are powered by ideology, and a sense of the urgent need to understand the past in order to cope with the present. In this module you will dip in and out of this written record, zooming in on a selection of passages that showcase momentous events, crucial historical debates or literary brilliance.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- To study selections from the historiographical works of Sallust, Livy and Tacitus in detail, exploring the various literary techniques they used to write about the past.
- To familiarise you with the variety of different modes of writing about the past that were used in ancient Rome (including annalistic history, ethnography, geography, and biography) on subjects from ancient legends to contemporary history.
- To reflect on the distinctions between ancient and modern historiography, and to explore the aims, sources and historical methods of the ancient writers.
- To consider how writers used the past to explore moral, political, and ideological issues.
- To think about the usefulness and the limitations of these texts as source material: how should we use them as evidence about Roman history?
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe and evaluate the rhetoric and politics of historical narrative by Livy, Sallust, and Tacitus
- 2. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the history of Rome from its beginnings up to the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
- 3. Demonstrate skills in the literary and textual interpretation of historiographical texts through close reading
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Use, analyse and evaluate ancient texts as a major source for understanding the ancient world
- 5. Develop basic academic and library skills specific to Classics and Ancient History, as well as a critical ability in evaluating published literature
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Demonstrate independent and group study skills in guided research and presentation of findings
- 7. Select and organise relevant material and present this in a coherent argument
- 8. Manage your own time and meet deadlines
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
Topics may include:
- Sallust
- Livy
- Tacitus
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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27 | 123 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 5 | 5 x 1 hour seminars |
Guided Independent Study | 123 | Private study |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Oral contribution in seminars | Ongoing | 1-8 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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30 | 70 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Source Analysis | 30 | 1000 words | 1-8 | Written and oral |
Examination | 70 | 24 hour take home paper | 1-8 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Source Analysis | Source Analysis | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Examination | Examination | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Core set texts:
- Kraus, C.S., Woodman, A.J. (1997) Latin Historians (Greece and Rome: New Surveys in the Classics 27), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-19-922293-2.
- Sallust, Catiline's War: With The Jugurthine War (Penguin Classics) (Paperback), Penguin, 2007, 978-0140449488.
- Livy, The Early History of Rome: Bks. 1-5 (Penguin Classics) (Paperback), Penguin, 2002, 978-0140448092
- Tacitus, The Annals (Paperback), Hackett Publishing, 2004, 978-0872205581.
Other recommended reading:
- Marincola, J. (1997) Authority and Tradition in Ancient Historiography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Wiseman, P. (1994) Historiography and Imagination (ch. 1-3). Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
- Woodman, A.J. (1988) Rhetoric in Ancient Historiography. London/New York: Routledge.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11494
- Feldherr, A. (ed.) (2009) The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Historians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI:10.1017/CCOL9780521854535
- Marincola, J. (ed.) (2007) A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography.Malden, MA/Oxford: Blackwell (selected chapters: 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 44, 50). DOI:10.1002/9781405185110
Credit value | 15 |
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Module ECTS | 7.5 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 4 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 03/03/2016 |
Last revision date | 10/07/2020 |