ROMAN HISTORY (LM)
cod. 1007457

Academic year 2018/19
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Storia romana (L-ANT/03)
Field
Discipline storiche, filosofiche, antropologiche e sociologiche
Type of training activity
Characterising
30 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] - mainly delivered through seminars and workshops - will be dedicated to a thorough reading and commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus Book XXV. Studying the various proposed methods and the narrow focus on the specific subject of Julian’s death in Persia and the reign of Jovian will have as primary outcome the understanding of the structure and of the contents of the selected subject. However, focusing on the history of the Empire in the second half of the 4th century A.D. will also provide students with a thorough understanding of the methods employed in the study of Roman imperial history. They will learn how to handle the methodological tools needed to deal with other subjects and issues in ancient Rome history in a critical and self-aware manner from the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom and in coursework assignments.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING SKILLS
The Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] will provide students with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the political, social and institutional history of the Roman world.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] will provide students with the critical and methodological tools required to read and understand the different types of source for the study of the history of Rome, and thus the ability to apply knowledge and understanding to issues in addition to those covered in the lessons.

INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGEMENT
Lessons focus on the different types of source for the study of the history of Rome and their interaction with different aspects of historical reality. Students thus develop autonomy of judgement in reading ancient texts and interpreting historical facts.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] students will have acquired the ability to present specialist content related to the main events and issues in the field clearly, verbally and / or in writing.

LEARNING SKILLS
Theoretical and disciplinary content of the Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] should provide students with the methodological tools and learning abilities required for the continuation of studies and / or for specialist professional activities.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of the history of ancient Rome; high school level knowledge of Latin.

Course unit content

The Roman History course - LM (30 hours = 6 CFU) [COD. 1007457] will cover the political and institutional history of the Roman Empire in the second half of the fourth century A.D., focusing on the specific subject of Julian’s death in Persia and the reign of Jovian. Classes require a basic knowledge of Roman History and Latin, and will have the format of single-topic seminars: this monographic focus will be dedicated to a thorough reading and commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus Book XXV.

Full programme

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Bibliography

1. Translation and commentary of: Ammianus Marcellinus, Res gestae. Book XXV  recommended edition: A. Selem (ed.), Le storie di Ammiano Marcellino, Torino, UTET, 1965 (or other reprint), pp. 694-749 (available also on the Elly platform);
2. S. MAZZARINO, L’impero romano, II, rist. Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007 (or other edition), pp. 651-751 (available also on the Elly platform);
3. T. GNOLI, Le guerre dell’imperatore Giuliano, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2015
4. A. PAGLIARA, Per la storia della fortuna dell’imperatore Giuliano tra Umanesimo ed età barocca, Roma, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, 2010

→ ONLY students who cannot attend lessons will also add the following volume:
5. S. MAZZARINO, La fine del mondo antico, rist. Milano, Bollati Boringhieri, 2008 (or other edition)

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STUDENTS WHO DID NOT TAKE THE ROMAN HISTORY EXAM DURING THE THREE-YEAR DEGREE AND STUDENTS WITH A LOW LEVEL OF ABILITY IN ITALIAN ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO DISCUSS A BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THE EXAMINATION WITH THE PROFESSOR.

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N.B. Highly recommended for ALL students is the use of a historical atlas of the ancient world, such as:
• M. BARATTA-P. FRACCARO et al., Atlante storico, Novara, Istituto geografico De Agostini, 1979;
• H. BENGTSON-V. MILOJCIC, Großer historischer Weltatlas, I. Teil (Vorgeschichte und Altertum), München, Bayerischer Schulbuch-Verlag, 1978;
• R. J. A. TALBERT, Atlas of Classical History, London, Routledge, 1985.

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Teaching methods

Classes, seminars and in-library exercises.

Assessment methods and criteria

Interview. Assessment will take place during the final exam, which will consist of an oral interview on the different parts of the program. The aims of the exam are: 1) to assess knowledge of the main developments in Roman history from the origins to Late Antiquity, as well as the themes studied monographically. (For students attending lessons, the more detailed knowledge will be assessed on the basis of documents studied in class, and for non-attending students, on the basis of the supplementary bibliography); 2) to evaluate the clarity of exposition, the mastery of required language, and appropriacy of candidate answers.

A fail mark is awarded for lack of an understanding of the minimum content of the course, the inability to express oneself adequately, by a lack of autonomous preparation, the inability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, and / or an inability to make independent judgments. A pass mark (18-23/30) is awarded to students demonstrating knowledge of the minimum, fundamental contents of the course, an adequate level of autonomous preparation and ability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, as well as an acceptable level of ability in making independent judgments. Middle-range scores (24-27/30) are assigned to the student who produces evidence of a more than sufficient level (24-25/30) or good level (26-27/30) in the evaluation indicators listed above. Higher scores (from 28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded on the basis of the student’s demonstration of a very good or excellent level in the evaluation indicators listed above.

Other information

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