B5118 - Roman Istitutions (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students will have a thorough knowledge of the institutions of the Roman world and will be able to carry out independent research on Roman political-institutional topics. They will be able to assess the relationships and connections with other humanities and social sciences that are necessary for the understanding of institutions. They will be able to communicate orally using the different registers (scientific communication, teaching, dissemination) of the historical disciplines.

Course contents

Specific research:

Between institutions and practice: the Augustean reforms. Within the whole body of Roman institutions, whose knowledge is entrusted to the students through the study of handbooks, during the course will be analyzed in particular the  institutions of the fist imperial age.

Readings/Bibliography

Students have to know G. Poma, Le istituzioni politiche del mondo romano, Il Mulino, Bologna 2009.

Additional reading:

Werner Eck, Augusto e il suo tempo, Il Mulino, Bologna, nuova edizione 2010.

Non-attending students must add:

1) Simonetta Segenni, Cesare Letta, L'amministrazione romana. Stato e città in età repubblicana e imperiale, Carocci, Roma 2023, reprint 2024.

2) Cesare Letta, Simonetta Segenni (des), Roma e le sue province. Dalla prima guerra punica a Diocleziano, Carocci, Roma 2105, reprint 2017.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons: presentation, reading and analysis of selected works. Students are invited to attend the lessons with personal remarks about the texts analysed in class.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

Oral examination. Students have to answer some questions about the bibliography of the course and about the texts analysed in class.

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The student will be asked to provide a commentary on texts selected from among those found in the course texts and will be judged on his ability to summarise and critically discuss topics raised in the course, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

The assessment will thus consider the student's:
- competence in commenting on the texts, i.e. in identifying, dating and contextualizing the works illustrated;
- knowledge and understanding of the topics covered;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an ability to provide a full description of the textes and an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course "Roman Epigraphy and Roman Institutions (C.I.) (LM)". If the student has the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts (“Roman Epigraphy") (1) (LM)" and “Roma Institutions (1) (LM)".

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office ( https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

In 2025, the examinations will take place in January (around the middle), April, May, June, late September/early October, December).

Teaching tools

Using power point and distribution of hand-out of the texts analysed in class.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Cenerini