| Unit name | Exploring Rome |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS10073 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cole |
| 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 |
None. |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The built environment is not only an indication of a community’s aesthetic inclinations and technological ambitions - it also reflects and affects the activities taking place inside and around it. This unit considers architectural forms and styles adopted in ancient Rome (the types of buildings and the way they are built and decorated) and the space enclosed by and between them. It then reimagines how such space might have been used. In doing so, the unit queries how architecture and space can help us understand a society and culture, as well as what insight they offer into how communities thought about themselves and their place in the world. The unit explores these ideas through a case study of ancient Rome. We will tour the leisurely lands of the Campus Martius, the wealth of the Palatine, and the Suburan slums, visiting sewers and backstreet warehouses alongside the city's most famous monuments, the Pantheon and the Colosseum.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit’s focus on space will introduce you to a distinctive way of studying ancient Rome, complementing approaches taken in other units at this level (both historical and cultural). In addition, the unit will expose you to a wide range of source material, from literary texts and funerary inscriptions to the latest digital models and VR experiences. By establishing ways of reading, interpreting, and making use of such material, the unit will help you to develop critical skills that will support your learning in subsequent years, while also providing important historical context for your degree.
An overview of content
This unit’s case study is the Roman cityscape. We will explore the city across time, from its founding myths and Republican features to iconic imperial additions and subsequent transformations, including the impact of Christianity and of excavations in the modern era. Each week, we will focus on a different aspect of Roman life, such as leisure or commemoration, and think about how the built environment shaped (and was shaped by) Roman culture and society. This will involve a holistic tour of space in Rome, from the opulence of the imperial baths to the role of the sewers. To put ourselves back into the Roman cityscape, we will draw on a wide range of source material, from relief sculpture and literary sources to digital models and Google Earth depictions of space today.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
By the end of the unit, you will have an in-depth understanding of the ancient Roman cityscape and its development. You will be able to recognize architectural forms and features, the relationship between buildings and space, and will have familiarised yourself with a diverse body of relevant primary and secondary source material. You will have developed skills in close reading visual and written material, and in making creative use of this material to answer historical questions. In exploring ancient Rome through the transformative potential of immersive technologies, you will also have thought about the role of the digital in exploring antiquity, and be able to apply a critical lens when using such technologies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
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.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Essay, 1,500 words (70%) [ILOs 1-4]
Exam, 60 minutes (30%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
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. CLAS10073).
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 University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
