ROMAN HISTORY - II

Students attending this course will get to know historical processes, the methodology of historical research and its disciplinary lexicon. They will also acquire the following skills: critical approaching to historical issues through the understanding cause and effect relationships; examining sources and fact-checking; communicating what they learn through a proper scientific vocabulary; getting accustomed to complex issues and to their consequences.
The goals of the course are: being aware of the main issues related to the history of the Roman empire; knowing historical events and understanding their causes; developing the principles and methods of historical research; being able to understand the relations between political, institutional, military, economic, social, and religious dynamics; applying the methodology of historical reconstruction with specific focus on ancient primary sources belonging to different categories; acquiring the basic vocabulary of history and historiography.
Reaching these goals will offer students the required cultural and methodological knowledge for enrolling to MA courses in the Humanities. They will also be ready to access the job market in the fields of teaching, communication, dissemination and organization of cultural events.

Class attendance and individual study will allow students to adquire specific knowledge on the following topics: the main events of Roman imperial history, the methodology of historical reconstruction and the specific lexicon of the discipline. Students will also acquire the skills to make out the roots of current historical issues in order to better understand them. They will also learn a critical approach to problems and how to communicate scientific concepts.
The course will guarantee the following skills: to create a hierarchy of information with personal critical judgment; to know how to deal with complex problems; to be able to argue about basic scientific issues.

Having already studied Roman archaic and republican history (6 ECTS). Foreign students are invited to contact the course tutor to discuss their individual background in Classics and Ancient history.

Course title: Working on ancient sources. An outline of Roman imperial history.
Through the analysis of ancient documents (literary texts, inscriptions, coins, iconographic and archaeological sources) this course will provide an outline of the political, social, economic and religious history of the Roman world from the creation of the principate to the fall of the Western empire.

Programme for all students:
- class notes;
- G. CRESCI MARRONE, F. ROHR VIO, L. CALVELLI, Roma antica. Storia e documenti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020 (second edition), pp. 211-391 i.e. from chapter 12 to chapter 23 (including the online materials available on the Pandoracampus platform: https://www.pandoracampus.it ).
Literature in English, French, Spanish, or German can be provided to foreign students upon request.

Oral interview usually based on two questions (one on the handbook, hard copy; one on the handbook, online section).

oral

Assessment Grid:
28-30L: excellent mastery of the topics covered in class and in the textbooks; excellent ability to prioritize information; appropriate use of technical terminology of the discipline;
26-27: good knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the textbooks; good ability to organize and present information; generally correct use of the technical terminology of the discipline;
24-25: fair knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the textbooks; fair ability to organize information; use of technical terminology of the discipline not always correct;
22-23: occasionally superficial and/or incomplete knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the textbooks; presentation not always clear and/or lacking in technical terminology of the discipline;
18-21: occasionally incomplete knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the textbooks, but still sufficient; presentation not clear and/or lacking and/or with scarce use of the technical terminology of the discipline.

Regular class sessions. Regular class attendance is strongly recommended.
Additional learning and self-evaluation tools can be found in the Ca’ Foscari Moodle e-learning platform.

Students who attend this course will be entitled to take part in the seminar activities, stages and training courses organised by the Roman History and Classics faculty during the two terms (the calendar of activities will be provided in class and on the Ca' Foscari website).
Students who obtain 12 ECTS credits in the disciplinary field of Roman History [STAN-01/B] will be eligible to take part in the three-day visit to the Roman epigraphic collections, which is expected to take place in late spring 2027.
Students who attend this course will also be able to enrol in the Latin Epigraphy course [FT0062] and participate in the epigraphic Summer School that is likely to take place in the Venice region in late June 2026.

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments.
Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development