Unit HISTORY OF ROMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY

Course

Italian, classical studies and european history

Study-unit Code

GP005344

Curriculum

Civiltà e cultura dell'antico

Teacher

Roberto Cristofoli

Teachers

Roberto Cristofoli

Hours

36 ore - Roberto Cristofoli

CFU

Course Regulation

Coorte 2025

Offered

2025/26

Learning activities

Caratterizzante

Area

Discipline storiche, filosofiche, antropologiche e sociologiche

Academic discipline

L-ANT/03

Type of study-unit

Opzionale (Optional)

Type of learning activities

Attività formativa monodisciplinare

Language of instruction

Italian

Contents

The course is divided into two parts: 1) History of the historiography on ancient Rome in both Greek and Latin language, and examination of the various historiographical authors and genres, with special attention to ancient biography, which is theoretically distinct from the historiography, but actually closely related to it. 2) Historical reconstruction, through constant resort to the historiographical and biographical sources, but also of other types when necessary or important, of the main events in Roman history of the years 59-50 BC.

Reference texts

Students who attend classes are only expected to know the contents of the lectures and of all texts presented and analysed during the course. If necessary, Students can brush up on their knowledge of ancient Roman history through a detailed handbook such as G. Geraci - A. Marcone, “Storia Romana. Editio Maior”, Ed. Le Monnier Università (Mondadori Education), Milano 2017, EAN 9788800746991, and their knowledge of ancient Roman historiography through the handbook “Introduzione alla storiografia romana”, Ed. Carocci, Roma 2019 (II Ed.), EAN 9788843094950. Students who are unable to attend lectures must get in touch with the Professor, who will provide them with an alternative exam preparation programme indicating additional and different books. In Unistudium Students can find exclusively the texts presented within the course. Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for the compensatory tools ensured by law, for which consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. For the request, Students are invited to ask the teacher, who will put them in contact with the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it)

Educational objectives

The main knowledge that Students are expected to acquire will be: - Knowledge of historiography on ancient Rome and its types, as well as of ancient biography; - historical and historiographical knowledge of the events and dynamics at play in the Late Roman Republic. The main skills that will allow Students to apply their acquired knowledge will be: - Students will be able to reconstruct the events of specific stages of the history of a civilization denoting a certain degree of autonomy; - Students will acquire an appropriate methodology to analyze and to interpret sources for historical reconstruction.

Prerequisites

In order to fully understand the contents of the course, it is useful that Students have attended the undergraduate course in Roman history, with particular reference to the notions concerning the 1st century BC.

Teaching methods

The course consists of frontal lectures (if required, through the use of synchronous telematic mode) with slide projection, also using problem solving strategies. Students with disabilities and/or DSA may request, in consultation with the Professor, teaching tools useful to facilitate study. For general information, please consult the University Services at https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Departmental Contact Person (Prof. A. Di Pilla). The University of Perugia has so far admitted 11 categories of Students to distance learning. Students who may be interested are invited to check the possibility of attending lectures in DAD on the website Procedura DAD - Università degli Studi di Perugia (unipg.it)

Other information

The course is currently scheduled to start in late February 2026. Attendance at lectures is recommended and can foster a better and deeper understanding of the topics. Students who are unable to attend lectures must get in touch with the Professor, who will provide them with an alternative exam preparation programme. The Professor’s office hours are posted and updated on the following web-page: https://www.unipg.it/personale/roberto.cristofoli/didattica Students with disabilities and / or with DSA are asked to consult the University Services on the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa; Students can also get in touch with the responsible contact person (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it) To get in touch with the Professor, write to: roberto.cristofoli@unipg.it

Learning verification modality

Final oral examination. The examination lasts about 20-25 minutes and aims at evaluating both general skills in Roman historiography and related literary genres, as well as skills applied to the specific purpose of historical and historiographical reconstruction of the years 59-50 of Roman history. The answers to the exam questions will determine an evaluation based on argumentative rigor, property of language, exhaustive exposition of the contents. The answers to the exam questions will determine an evaluation based on argumentative rigor, property of language, exhaustive exposition of the contents. Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for compensatory tools, dispensatory measures and inclusive technologies ensured by law, that have been requested and agreed with the Professor well in advance before the date of the examinations. For general information, consult the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or SLD Department Coordinator (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).

Extended program

The course is divided into two parts. The first part of the course will aim at outlining a history of the historiography on the ancient Rome in both Greek and Latin language. Particular attention will be given to the use of sources in ancient historiography, to the differences between ancient and modern concept of historical writing, to the various types of historiographical genres (and to some other important types of literary sources for historical reconstruction), and to the development of biography, which is theoretically distinct from the historiography, but actually strictly related to it – and this is especially true in the particular case of lives devoted to military and political personalities. The lectures will also deal with the main ancient authors of historical and biographical works: some significant and extensive passages from their works will be examined in order to draw attention to the features and the ideologies of the writers. The second part of the course, on the topic “The years 59-50 BC”, will be devoted to the main events of that decade, with reading of passages from the sources: in particular, the agreement (the First Triumvirate) between Caesar, Crassus and Pompey, and Caesar's consulship in 59; Caesar's campaigns in Gaul (with remarks on the bias of Caesar’s Commentaries and on the anti-Caesarian source of Cassius Dio) and the expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54; the renewal of the agreement between Caesar, Crassus and Pompey at Luca, and the opposition mounted by the optimates; Crassus’ campaign against the Parthians; Clodius’ murder, and Pompey’s consulship “sine collega”; the question of the date on which Caesar’s Gallic proconsulate expired; the outbreak of civil war between Caesar and Pompey.

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