ANCIENT 354 : Early Rome

Arts

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of the earliest development of ancient Rome, using written sources but with special emphasis on archaeological evidence.

Course Overview

This course will explore the origins of Roman society, from the settlement’s beginnings in the late Bronze Age down through the middle Republic. This is a dynamic and quite contentious field in modern scholarship, with a wide range of contrasting positions currently being argued for. The course will utilize both literary sources and a wide range of archaeological material to build a picture of the community's early development, discussing how and why the Roman state emerged and was able to become the most dominant power in Italy (and ultimately the entire Mediterranean) during this period. We will discuss art, architecture, family, identity, state-formation, religion, war, politics, the economy, and a range of other topics and themes. The course will also touch on how the early history of the city was received and adapted by later authors, and the importance of early Rome for both later Roman history and modern society.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in Ancient History, Classical Studies, or Classical Studies and Ancient History, or 30 points at Stage II in Latin Restriction: ANCHIST 254, 354, ANCIENT 254

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Be able to use ancient sources - both literary and archaeological - to argue historical points, in the process developing transferable skills in the fields of source criticism, argumentation, and communication (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
  2. Critically evaluate different types of ancient evidence (and often conflicting modern analysis), accounting for period, bias, intention, and genre. (Capability 3, 4 and 6)
  3. Conduct research on historical events and arguments relating to the early and middle Roman Republic (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
  4. Demonstrate and apply essay writing skills, communicating research findings using clear prose and appropriate writing structures (Capability 5 and 6)
  5. Evaluate and deploy various historiographical methodologies to tackle complex problems from a prehistoric society (Capability 1, 4 and 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Methodology Assignment 20% Individual Coursework
Peoples and Places of Early Italy Assignment 10% Individual Coursework
Creative Project 30% Individual Coursework
Final Essay 40% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

 Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities, including tutorials, will not be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

This course is regularly updated in response to student feedback, but has had consistently excellent evaluations.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 26/10/2023 08:18 a.m.