Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	LH Special Subject B: (De)constructing the Romans
School	History and Cultures
Department	Classics, AH and Archaeology
Module Code	09 37807
Module Lead	Dr Hannah Cornwell / Dr Henriette van der Blom
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites	LH Special Subject A: (De)constructing the Romans - (09 37882)
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Seminar-30 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module and its co-requisite (Special Subject A: (De)constructing the Romans) will allow students to engage in in-depth research and study on a topic in Classics, Byzantine Studies, Egyptology, Ancient History, or Archaeology. Working in a small group format under the guidance of the module co-ordinator, students will engage with key primary material and with research findings, interpretative approaches, and methodologies associated with the module topic. The module will help students to develop and exercise advanced research skills and to learn through critique and discussion, as well as to acquire knowledge and expertise in their chosen topic. From Romulus’ murder of Remus to Augustus’ rebirth of Rome, from the rape of Lucretia to Clodia’s politicking, and from Cato’s denunciation of Carthage to Cicero’s character assassination of Mark Antony, the Romans told stories about themselves, their identity and their past. Indeed, much of what we can learn about the Romans comes from a vast array of evidence in which they constructed (and deconstructed) themselves through narratives conveyed in literature, drama, monuments, architecture, coins and inscriptions. In this module you will examine the ways in which the Romans constructed their own self-image, their identity and their history(ies) through the narratives they constructed about their past, about their societal norms and expectations, and in relation to non-Romans. These narratives were not static or unitary and you will explore how the Romans deconstructed and reconstructed their past over time and in responses to various crises and changes. This module also focuses on the ways in which the Romans themselves were constructed and deconstructed by other peoples (the Greeks and other voices), and about the ways in which we, as modern historians of the ancient world, continue to construct and deconstruct the Romans.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: analyse and appraise key findings, interpretative approaches, and methodologies relevant to the material under discussionanalyse and evaluate a wide range of relevant primary source material offering where appropriate, an explicitly comparative perspectivecritically evaluate the scholarly context and trends of the subject under explorationsummarise and evaluate the subject material with clarity and confidence, in writing
Assessment	37807-01 : Take Home Exam : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 3,000-word take home examination (100%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed component(s)
Other
Reading List