Unit LATE ANCIENT ROMAN HISTORY

Course
Italian, classical studies and european history
Study-unit Code
GP005346
Curriculum
Civiltà e cultura dell'antico
Teacher
Rita Lizzi
Teachers
  • Rita Lizzi
Hours
  • 36 ore - Rita Lizzi
CFU
6
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
Institutions, culture and religion, economy and society from fourth to sixth century AD, through the major events of Late Antiquity. History of late antique Rome and current affairs: the transformation of the imperial institutions in the reformed Empire of Diocletian and Constantine Religious evolution from polytheism to Christianity and the relationship between Empire and Church.
Reference texts
For attending and not attending students: - A specific Manual: L- De Salvo-C. Neri, Storia romana. L'età tardoantica, Jovence 2010. For the monographic part: R. Lizzi Testa (ed.), LAte Antiquity in Contemporary Debate, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2017; R. Lizzi Testa, Un Occidente rivolto a Est (455-554 d. C,), L'Erma di Bretschneider 2024.
Educational objectives
To acquire the knowledges of the major events in the history of Roman Empire; the transformation of ancient political institutions into the main Late Antique institutions (Courts, Princeps, Dominus, and his civilian officials in the Court and in the provinces of Late Antiquity) - economic and social issues of Late Antiquity - Religious evolution from polytheism to Christianity.
Prerequisites
Students of this course must have already passed an exam of Roman history.
Teaching methods
The course is organized as follows: - Lectures that will cover all the issues and problems related to Roman History -Relations held by students
Learning verification modality
The exam involves a final oral exam (the dates laid down by calendar), which consists of a discussion-interview on the topics covered during the course and studied in-depth in recommended texts. The oral examination is used to ascertain the level of knowledge attained by the student, his ability to make connections and to briefly expose the main historical issues addressed during the course. The duration of the oral final exam varies depending on the performance of the student.
Extended program
The course will be organized in two parts: a first part (about 14 hours) will be on the historiography of the topic, to understand when and how the last centuries of the Roman Empire began to be appreciated not as age of decadence but as a period when the institutional life, politics and religion of the Empire by fourth to the sixth century AD. were relaunched. In this part we will examine the main institutional changes, and the political, economic and religious reorganization of the Roman Empire from Diocletian-Constantine; a second part (about 22 hours) will be dedicated to the deepening of a specific topic: Roman Emperor and the élites.
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
Quality education; gender equality; reducing inequalities.
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