Module description
The module focuses on the last generation of the Roman republic, as seen through the eyes of Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC. His speeches, treatises and personal letters present one of the fullest historical records preserved from any single period of antiquity. As such it offers a unique opportunity to trace the gradual disintegration of a political system through the day-to-day records of one of its leading protagonists. The module is broadly structured around the life of Cicero, following his Italian background, his rise to power via the courts, his manoeuvrings between the leading men of the day, trying to realise his political ideals, which finally led to his death at the hands of the triumvirs. The aim is to apply a more holistic approach to the period. So apart from political history, the course also covers a range of social and economic issues: the Roman family, the status of women, wealth and poverty, leisure and entertainment, as well as the physical world inhabited by Cicero: the urban topography, private housing and public monuments.
Assessment details
Examination (100%) (Online question paper, requiring answers to 3 out of 15 questions; the answers are limited to a total of 3,600 words, and are to be uploaded within a 24-hour window.)
Teaching pattern
20 x 2-hour seminars (weekly)
Suggested reading list