The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - AHIS220
The collapse of the Roman empire, after five centuries of domination of the Mediterranean world, represents a major shift in the political, military, and cultural forces of antiquity. Rome's fall is also a key concept in contemporary understanding of the ancient and indeed modern world, arguably the defining idea of the European historical tradition. This unit studies the politics and culture of the Roman and post-Roman period from the fourth to the sixth centuries (segueing into early medieval Europe) through close examination of texts ranging from historical narratives to imperial documents to saints' lives. We also consider how modern thinkers have defined this period and used it as a paradigm for later history, from Gibbon's "triumph of barbarism and religion" to more recent views of Rome's fall as "an interesting experiment that got a little out of hand".
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| When Offered: | S1 Day - Session 1, North Ryde, Day |
| Staff Contact(s): | Associate Professor Andrew Gillett |
| Prerequisites: |
12cp at 100 level or above
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| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | AHIS320, AHST233, AHST333 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Unit Type: | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Ancient History Faculty of Arts |
Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
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