CAH2017 : The Roman World from Hadrian to Heraclius
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Micaela Langellotti
- Lecturer: Dr Simon Corcoran
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The module aims to introduce students to a broad sweep of Roman history across centuries of crisis and transformation - political, military, religious and cultural. Continuing on from where CAH1015 (From Romulus to Trajan) finished, the period starts with Hadrian (AD117-138) and the empire at its zenith. The module will take the student through the significant shift from “Principate” to “Dominate”, the loss of the western provinces, the Justinianic “revival” and the catastrophic losses of the seventh century, taking the death of Heraclius (AD641) as a suitable terminus. Important themes will include, but are not limited to: the development of the emperor’s office and role; structures and strategies of Roman imperialism and responses to it; the shift of focus from Rome to Constantinople; religious transformation, especially the rise to dominance of monotheisms; cultural developments in literature and art, including the relationship of Greek and Latin; the “falls” of Rome; historiography of Rome and her legacy, ancient and modern.
Outline Of Syllabus
Themes and topics (the list below does not necessarily reflect the sequence and structure through which these are treated):
•Historiography (ancient and modern) and periodization.
•Ancient evidence, textual and material, and its interpretation.
•The development of the imperial office, powers and ceremonies, collegiate rule, dynasties, and succession.
•Imperial capitals and residences from Rome to Constantinople.
•Central administration and palatine offices, including imperial finance.
•The elites of the empire, senatorial and equestrian, imperial and local.
•Provinces and cities, local administration, and resistance to empire.
•Social life, law and citizenship.
•Religions in the empire, in particular the spread and establishment of Christianity across the Mediterranean and beyond, including topics such as Church Councils, bishops, monastic life, Christology.
•Armies and frontiers.
•Cultural life, including the relationship between Latin and Greek and other languages, and changes in literary and artistic traditions.
• Rivals and neighbours, particularly Parthia and Persia (2nd to 7th centuries).
• The successor states in the west (5th to 6th centuries)
• The rise of Islam and the great Arab conquests.
• The decline and fall of Rome or the transformation of the ancient world?
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | 2 lectures per week |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 67 | 1:00 | 67:00 | For two assessment components |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 11 | 3:00 | 33:00 | 3 hours of reading per week |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | One hour per seminar |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | 2 hours preparation per seminar discussion |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 47 | 1:00 | 47:00 | Student research activity related to the topics introduced each week (e.g. reading lists). |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will provide the students with a structured outline of core knowledge and methodologies that are essential for approaching the key historical topics of the module. They also offer the students the necessary instruments to independently analyse and discuss the primary evidence and secondary literature.
Seminars are specifically designed to provide the students with in-depth discussion and further analysis of a selected number of topics, issues, and pieces of primary evidence that have been presented in the lectures.
The workshops will focus on assessment preparation and provide opportunities for formative assessment.
The drop-in sessions offer students an informal opportunity to ask questions and discuss any aspect of the module. In the three sessions, staff will be available to address students' queries and provide guidance on the assessment.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 1 | A | 70 | In-person exam |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 30 | 500-word book review |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The in person exam assesses students’ knowledge of Roman history, their ability to analyse sources, and to construct coherent arguments under timed conditions, while also ensuring resilience against AI-assisted work. The book review enables students to engage critically with a specific piece of scholarship, demonstrating close reading, analytical thinking, and the ability to situate arguments within broader historiographical debates.
The book review helps students prepare for the exam by encouraging them to engage critically with the evidence and to evaluate arguments, skills central to the exam. By engaging with a specific piece of work, students will practise placing ideas within broader scholarly debates and writing clearly and concisely, directly supporting the type of analysis required in the exam.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CAH2017's Timetable