CAH3033 : The Fall of the Roman Republic (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Federico Santangelo
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
In this module we study the historical developments that led to the collapse of the Roman Republic and the advent of the monarchic rule of Octavian, later known as Augustus. It was a long and complex process, which spanned over more than a century and coexisted with the expansion and the development of Roman hegemony throughout the Mediterranean.
One of the central contentions of this course will be that the fall of the Roman Republic cannot be read simply as a process of decline. On the contrary, it was a dramatic and violent period of creative change, which was part of a wider process of reaggregation and reorganisation of the Roman State and of the Empire as a whole.
This module intends to offer an opportunity to:
- Gain a sound general knowledge of the period, both of the narrative of the last two centuries BC and of the main historical issues of the period;
- Read widely and critically in the primary and secondary literature about the period;
- Develop further the capacity for independent study.
Outline Of Syllabus
Our discussion will start in 168 BCE, when the Roman victory at Pydna against a coalition of Greek forces made clear to everybody that there was no alternative to Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean. We will then embark on an analysis of the economic and social situation in Rome and Italy in the second century BCE, and we will look at the changes that intervened in Roman politics as a consequence of that. We will then move on to a discussion of the role of the Italian Allies in this period and to the Social War, and to the consequences that this process had on the competition within the Roman elite. We will cover the main developments from the age of Sulla and Marius to the clash between Caesar and Pompey, and to the final clash between Octavian and Mark Antony. At the same time, we will show that these events must be explained against the background of complex economic and social processes, by looking at a wide range of evidence – literary, epigraphical, numismatic, and archaeological. The study of the political and military developments will be intertwined with the discussion of the key historical themes of the period. The seminars will be devoted to the close scrutiny of important pieces of evidence.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 67 | 1:00 | 67:00 | For two assessment components |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introduction to the module |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 24 | 1:00 | 24:00 | 1 hour per lecture |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 33 | 1:00 | 33:00 | 3 hours of reading per week |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 9 | 2:00 | 18:00 | 2 hours preparation per seminar discussion |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | 1 hour per seminar |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Two workshops focusing on essay preparation, to be scheduled ca. two weeks before each essay deadline |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 49 | 1:00 | 49:00 | Student research activity related to the topics introduced each week (e.g. reading lists) |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will provide the students with a structured outline of core knowledge and methodologies that are essential for approaching the key historical topics of the module. They also offer the students the necessary instruments to analyse and discuss the primary evidence and secondary literature independently.
Seminars are specifically designed to provide the students with in-depth discussion and further analysis of a selected number of topics, issues, and pieces of primary evidence that have been presented in the lectures.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | 50 | 1800-word essay |
| Essay | 1 | A | 50 | 1800-word essay |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer assessment | 1 | M | Multiple choice quizzes relating to each week's topic will be posted on Canvas on a weekly basis. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The two 1800-word essays assess the students' ability to conduct independent research on a chosen topic. They test their analytical skills and ability to discuss complex material (primary evidence and secondary literature) critically and succinctly.
The formative assessment is intended to support students in becoming acquainted with a wide range of topics and problems, and with a rich and diverse set of primary evidence and secondary material, and to provide them with prompt and tangible feedback on the progress they are making.
Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending semester 1 only are required to finish their assessment while in Newcastle. Where an exam is present, an alternative form of assessment will be set and where coursework is present, an alternative deadline will be set. Details of the alternative assessment will be provided by the module leader
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CAH3033's Timetable