ANHS2614: Semester 2, 2020

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Units ANHS2614 Semester 2 2020 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

ANHS2614: The Emperor in the Roman World 14-117 AD

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

The first century AD is a fascinating and important period of tension and negotiation between the emperor, senate, and people of Rome. The empire expanded to its physical apogee, and new avenues of power and arenas of competition emerged to transform politics. This unit examines the period 14-117 AD, comprising the reigns of the Julio-Claudians (Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero), Flavians (Vespasian, Titus, Domitian), Nerva, and Trajan. It will treat politics, court culture, the imperial family, foreign policy, conspiracy and propaganda.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Classics and Ancient History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Paul Roche, paul.roche@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Eleanor Cowan, eleanor.cowan@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Paul Roche, paul.roche@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Documentary analysis n/a	10%	-	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay n/a	40%	-	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Final exam (Take-home extended release)	Exam n/a	40%	Formal exam period	48 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation n/a	10%	Weekly	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= Type E final exam ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. An introduction to imperial history: Rome in the year 14	Lecture (1 hr)
	2. How we know what we know: Sources for the period 14-117	Lecture (1 hr)
	The Res Gestae Divi Augusti as an imperial template	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	3. The princeps, the patres and the prince: Tiberius’ first years;	Lecture (1 hr)
	4. Sejanus and the emperor in absentia	Lecture (1 hr)
	The succession of Tiberius	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	5. Maiestas trials and the aftermath of 31	Lecture (1 hr)
	6. The geopolitics of the Roman empire	Lecture (1 hr)
	Murder at Rome: Inscriptions on the death of Germanicus	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	7. Little boots: Caligula	Lecture (1 hr)
	8. The abuse of power: Caligula and Rome	Lecture (1 hr)
	The madness of Caligula	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	9. Court life: Claudius and the fall of Messalina	Lecture (1 hr)
	10. Agrippina ascendant / Curtains for Claudius	Lecture (1 hr)
	The equestrian order in the early empire	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	11. 'Quinquennium Neronis': Nero 54-59AD	Lecture (1 hr)
	12. Bright Shining Apollo: Nero the aesthete emperor	Lecture (1 hr)
	'Best of mothers': Agrippina the Younger	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	13 'Living like a human being': life in Neropolis	Lecture (1 hr)
	14. 'What an artist dies in me!' Nero's last years	Lecture (1 hr)
	Romans and Christians at home and abroad	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	15. The long year: 69 AD	Lecture (1 hr)
	16. Reinventing Rome: Vespasian's principate	Lecture (1 hr)
	The Law on Vespasian's Power (the Lex de Imperio Vespasiani)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	17. Vespasian: '. . . becoming a god'	Lecture (1 hr)
	18. Titus: the darling of mankind	Lecture (1 hr)
	Commemorating the great and good: the politics of memory in imperial Rome	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	19. ‘Declared Autocracy’ Domitian in 80s	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	20. 'Dominus et deus': the emperor as master and god	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	21. The nervous 90s: Domitian's ‘reign of terror’	Lecture (1 hr)
	22. The emperor Nerva	Lecture (1 hr)
	Re-thinking succession: the principle of adoption	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	23. Optimus Princeps: Trajan’s first years;	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	24. Empire without end: Trajan's wars in Dacia and Parthia	Lecture (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas; any additional readings will be made available on Canvas.

Required textbook: Alston, R. Aspects of Roman History 31 BC – AD 117 (Routledge 2014)
Required textbook: Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars (tr. Edwards) (Oxford World’s Classics 2000)
Required textbook: Tacitus The Annals: The Reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero (tr. Yardley) (Oxford World’s Classics 2000)

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. acquire a familiarity with the key evidence for imperial politics and society, and the scholarly issues surrounding the interpretation of the early Roman Empire (14-117AD)
LO2. acquire a body of knowledge about the history, culture and institutions of the early Roman Empire and the major scholarly approaches to the acquisition and interpretation of that knowledge
LO3. evaluate scholarly interpretations of evidence for the early Roman Empire, ranging from traditional criticism to contemporary approaches
LO4. acquire and refine problem solving skills in the reading and interpretation of literary and documentary texts (in translation, and their related criticism) as evidence for the politics and society of the early Roman Empire
LO5. demonstrate skills in communication and argument through the writing of critical essays and class discussion
LO6. develop as an independent learner
LO7. experience the discourse, anxieties and concerns of a culture separated from your own by time and place.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Thanks to valuable feedback from the last cohort who took this course, have changed some tutorial topics, and added some lectures on wider issues affecting the Roman Empire in the first century AD.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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