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Ancient Cities

Key information

  • Module code:

    5AACAA90

  • Level:

    5

  • Semester:

      Autumn

  • Credit value:

    15

Module description

Topic: Constantinople

Constantinople: Imperial Capital – Medieval Metropolis

The module introduces students to the history, changing fortunes, monuments and artistic output of Constantinople, successor to Rome and the largest city of the medieval world.

This will be achieved through the examination of the city’s place in the wider world, of its fabric, of individual monuments with their decoration, and of primary texts that shed light on important questions, with particular emphasis on the transformation of the city from Late Antiquity through the medieval period (4th - 15th century).

Assessment details

 750 word commentary (30%) + 2,000 word essay (70%)

Suggested reading list

Sarah Bassett (ed.), The Cambridge companion to Constantinople, CUP (Cambridge 2022).

Jonathan Harris, Constantinople: capital of Byzantium, Humbledon Continuum (London 2007).

Cyril Mango, The art of the Byzantine empire, 312-1453: sources and documents, University of Toronto Press (Englewood Cliffs NJ 1972).

Robert Ousterhout, Eastern medieval architecture. The building traditions of Byzantium and neighboring lands, Oxford UP (Oxford 2019).

Subject areas

Department


Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.