This module is not currently running in 2024 to 2025.
This module examines in detail the history of the Roman Republic from 350 BC through to 100 BC, and provides both a survey of a major period of Roman history and an opportunity to study in greater depth the political, social, and economic consequences of the development of Rome's imperial ambitions in the Mediterranean. Students will read widely in the ancient sources, historical, literary and documentary.
Students will read widely from a range of works including: Polybius, Plutarch, Livy, Appian, Cicero, and Sallust.
The module will be taught by means of a one-hour seminar and a one-hour lecture per week
Also available at Level 5 under code CL732
• Essay (2,500words) – 70%
• Short Critical Assessment (1,200words) – 30%
Indicative Reading List.
Astin, A.E, Walbank, F.W. and Frederiksen, M.W. (1987) The Cambridge Ancient History VIII: Rome and the Mediterranean to 133 BC (CUP, Cambridge).
Brunt, P. (1993) Social Conflicts in the Roman Republic (Norton, London).
DeRose Evans, J. (2013). A Companion to the Archaeology of the Roman Republic (Blackwell, Oxford).
Flower, H.I. (2014) The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic (CUP, Cambridge).
Harris, W.V. (1995) War and Imperialism in the Republican Rome (Clarendon, Oxford).
Hopkins, K. (1981) Conquerors and Slaves (CUP, Cambridge).
Rosenstein, N and Morstein-Marx, R. (2010) A Companion to the Roman Republic (Blackwell, Oxford).
Woolf, G. (2013) Rome: An Empire's Story (OUP, Oxford).
On successfully completing the module Level 6 students will be able to:
- Articulate the main events, issues and themes in the history of the Roman Republic from the commencement of the imperial expansion to 100 BC;
- Demonstrate a thorough critical analysis of the complex processes relating to administrative, constitutional, social, economic and religious change in the Roman Republic during this period and be aware of how each of these factors affects the other;
- Critically, analyse special features of the period such as the evolution of the imperial bureaucracy and the working of the mechanism of patronage, both in the centre and the provinces;
- Demonstrate the ability to discriminate and incorporate various kinds of evidence (official, literary, visual and archaeological) in written and oral work, and show knowledge of key documents, and have developed independence to use the different categories of evidence in the investigation of historical problems;
- Demonstrate familiarity with and an analytical use of the ancient sources, historical, literary and documentary, and have an understanding of inscriptional evidence for the history of the Roman Republic;
- Construct historical arguments, orally and in writing, which demonstrate a critical understanding of inscriptional evidence for imperial history.
University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that module information is accurate for the relevant academic session and to provide educational services as described. However, courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. Please read our full disclaimer.
