Unit information: Historical Topic: Roman Imperial Culture in 2022/23

Unit name	Historical Topic: Roman Imperial Culture
Unit code	CLAS20062
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Edwin Shaw
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This unit will cover Roman imperial culture over the period from Augustus (31 BC) to Hadrian (AD 138). It will consider the development and expression of Roman imperial culture as a distinct quality, and a development from the culture of the Republic. Students will examine how the changed circumstances of the Principate manifested themselves in a shifting cultural economy, with the emperor at its head. A wide range of manifestations of “imperial culture” will be studied, including visual culture, intellectual and literary culture, and political and social ideas.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate detailed understanding of political and cultural history in the first two dynasties of the Roman empire;
2. identify and use a range of ancient sources and cultural products to explain and interpret the period;
3. demonstrate knowledge of the current themes and debates related to imperial culture and its dissemination;
4. work effectively within and contribute individually to a group project;
5. demonstrate skills in academic writing directed towards the general public, at a standard appropriate to level I.

How you will learn

This unit will involve a combination of independent investigative activities, long- and short-form lectures, and discussion. Students will be expected to engage with materials and participate on a weekly basis. Feedback will be provided for both formative and summative assessments, and this will be supported by meetings with tutors.

How you will be assessed

Formative

1. Group project, creating a virtual exhibition. [ILOs 1-5]

Summative

2. Each student to write 2,000 word catalogue entry for one allocated example of cultural practice (100%). [ILOs 1-3, 5]

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS20062).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.