2010 Course Handbook
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AHIS320: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
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 of the 4th–6th 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 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | 2011 - Next offered in 2011 |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Andrew Gillett |
| Prerequisites: |
30cp or (6cp in AHIS or AHST units at 200 level) |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | AHIS220, AHST233, AHST333 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Ancient History |
Timetable Information
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