Module overview
Alexandria, Athens, Babylon, Cairo, Carthage, Jerusalem, Rome and Constantinople are just a few of the iconic cities of the ancient world and many still have a very strong presence in the modern world. This module will explore the impact of city life on the social, religious, political and cultural experience of the people who lived in these urban spaces in the ancient world. Covering a broad geographic and chronological spread, it will consider the distinctive nature of specific cities in particular times, while also exploring common themes that unite city dwellers, regardless of time and location.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- reflecting on your learning across the module
- undertaking individual research with guidance
- writing an analytical piece of work drawing on primary and secondary sources
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The form of the ancient city
- of life in the ancient city e.g. immigration, daily life
- of how power operated in the ancient city e.g. religious, or financial power
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- engaging with a range of primary sources e.g. archaeological sites, written material, visual sources
- exploring urban histories in an ancient history context
- assessing scholarship on the ancient city
Syllabus
List of indicative topics:
The module will be focus on three themes. The form of the city (so buildings, roads, water supply), experiencing the city (immigration, daily life) and power and the city (this might be religious or financial power, of the city as an expression of power in terms of creating an empire or the destruction of cities) and three periods. The latter could include classical Greece, Roman empire/Italy, post Roman, ancient near eastern and include a number of cities in those geographical areas such as Athens, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Rome with a view to studying different periods and spaces within the ancient world.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
One weekly lecture and one weekly seminar
Individual tutorials on essays
Optional field trip to a post-Roman city
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Lecture | 12 |
| Seminar | 12 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
M. I. Finley (1977). The Ancient City: from Fustel de Coulanges to Max Weber and beyond.. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 19(3), pp. 305-327.
Textbooks
P. Erdcamp (2013). The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome. Cambridge University Press.
C. Gates (2003). Ancient Cities: the Archaeology pf Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge.
A. Zuiderhoek (2016). The Ancient City. Cambridge University Press.
J. Rich (2002). The City in Late Antiquity. Routledge.
Mary Beard (2010). Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. Profile Books.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Learning journal
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: By email or individual consultations
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Learning journal | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Assignment | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Learning journal | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External