Course teached as: B027595 - STORIA DELLA TARDA ANTICHITA'- EPIGRAFIA E STORIA ROMANA Second Cycle Degree in ANCIENT PHILOLOGY, LITERATURES AND HISTORY Curriculum STORICO
Teaching Language
Italian
Course Content
The course is divided into two parts.
The first one (LATE ANTIQUE THEMES) will provide the students with approaches to a field of study, that of late antiquity, which must be studied with specific perspectives and methodologies with regard to institutional, social and religious history.
The second part is an introduction to Latin epigraphy and its use as an instrument of historical investigation, with reference to the Roman world
First part (Late Antiquity):
L. De Salvo – C. Neri (a cura di), "Storia di Roma. L'età tardoantica (III-VI secolo d.C.)" , 2 vols., Ed. Jouvence, Roma 2010.
Moreover it must be read one book chosen among the following three:
- S. Mazzarino, La fine del mondo antico, Bollati Boringhieri, rist., Torino 2008, or:
- P. Brown, Il mondo tardoantico, trad.it. Einaudi, Torino 1974;
- D. Vera, a cura di, La società del Basso Impero. Guida storica e critica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1983
Second Part (Epigraphy and Roman History):
A. Buonopane, Manuale di epigrafia latina, Carocci, Roma 2009
oppure in alternativa
S. Giorcelli Bersani, Epigrafia e storia di Roma, Carocci, Roma ed. 2015.
To these readings will have to be added (for an optional or reccomended reading) essays indicated by the teacher in the classroom and uploaded in the emoodle platform.
Learning Objectives
I PART
Following the training objectives and the scientific and didactic part of the declaratory of the course in Philology, Literatures and History of Antiquity, the lessons will provide students with the ability to orient themselves on the main institutions and society of late-antique history, to develop autonomous and critical attitudes within historical and historiographical issues, and also with a method and capability to analyse the sources studied in the classroom.
II PART
Introduction to Roman Epigraphy, with special refererence to its use as a tool of knowledge and study of Roman Imperial and Late Antique History
Prerequisites
For the first part, the course is primarily intended for students of philology, literaturse and history of antiquity. It requires a good basic knowledge of Roman history, and in particular of the history of the Roman Empire from Augustus to the death of Theodosius the Great (late IV century AD). It should be useful that students attending the course refresh such previous knowledge.
For the second part, knowledge of Latin is required.
Teaching Methods
For the first part, the teacher intends to develop, in coherence with the specific training objectives of their study plan, students' critical ability in the analysis of sources, to prepare students to know and debate the main lines of the historiographical questions, and to favor an in-depth knowledge of relevant aspects of late antiquity as a whole. Lessons will be held with the help of computer technologies, power point presentations, and distribution of handouts. Part of the materials and documents will be made available using the emoodle platform. Lessons, while retaining the nature of frontal lessons, will encourage discussions in the classroom and will also have a seminar character.
For the second part, the teacher will essentially use powerpoint presentations. After a series of introductory front lessons, students will be invited to participate as actively as possible in the lessons, posing questions and doubts to the teacher and indicating their proposals in case of debatable epigraphical problems. At least one visit to museum monuments or epigraph collections is planned for a more direct contact with the materials and monumental contexts within which the inscriptions were placed
Further information
Regular and active attendance is strongly recommended. Students are strongly encouraged to submit all the relevant questions in order to establish a profitable dialogue and resolve any doubts and uncertainties.
Type of Assessment
The final exam is an oral exam.
I PART
It will consist of a conversation with the teacher to ascertain whether and how the student, qualitatively corresponding to the progress of his studies (at the level of master), has acquired the ability to use the knowledges and if he demonstrates communicative abilities in the exposition of problems, events and methods of Late Roman History. A check will also be done on the readings requested. Particular attention will be given to the student's ability to contextualize space-time coordinates and to critically analyze general aspects, or the more specific aspects and sources dealt with.
II PART
Oral exam. Checking examination of what has been explained by the teacher in the classroom, read sources, methods, and general considerations on latin epigraphy and its use from an historical-archaeological point of view. During the exam the candidate might be asked to do a simple proof of transcription with the use of diacritical symbols taught in class and described in the handbook
Course program
PART I- LATE ANTIQUITY (LATE ANTIQUE THEMES AND THEIR INTERPRETERS)
Preliminary considerations on the notion of late antiquity. Review of the major institutional and political developments from IV to VI century, in the West and East. After these lessons useful to provide the general conceptual and historical framework, the in-depth studies will focus on a series of topics and fundamental aspects that will be considered through the contribution given to them by historians of XIX and XX century as, to exemplify some possible cases, O. Seeck , W. Ennslin, A.H.M. Jones, S. Mazzarino, E.A. Thompson, H.I. Marrou, C. Lepelley. It is foreseen to read sources and historiographical passages of different nature depending on the topics dealt.
PART II-EPIGRAFIA AND ROMAN HISTORY
The lessons will cover the following topics: definition of epigraphy and epigraphy as a communication tool; review of the main epigraphic collections, from CIL to AE; computer tools and epigraphic databases; classification of epigraphs (sacred, funerary, honorary, public works, etc.); transcription and methods to prepare an epigraphical form; analysis of a dossier of inscriptions of historical interest