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2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

CLAS3420 Augustus and his Legacy

20 creditsClass Size: 31

Module manager: Dr. Penelope J. Goodman
Email: p.j.goodman@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

This module is mutually exclusive with

CLAS3930

The Age of Augustus

Module replaces

CLAS3930: The Age of Augustus

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module combines a historical study of the Augustan period with a cultural assessment of later responses to the legacy left by Augustus himself. The first, larger part of the module explores the c. 60-year period between the death of Julius Caesar and the accession of Rome’s second emperor, Tiberius. During this era, Rome underwent a profound political transformation, exchanging an increasingly beleaguered Republican system for a system of rule by emperor - the principate - which would last for the next three centuries. At the same time, the social and cultural world of the Roman empire was also revolutionised, witnessing the emergence of a new social hierarchy, new forms and uses of art, architecture and literature, new religious beliefs and a new relationship between Rome and the provinces. Our lectures will investigate the role played by Augustus himself in this process of change, and look at the efforts which he made to ensure that his own personal legacy would last beyond it. In the final part of the module, we will then turn our attention to the post-Augustan period, looking at the ways in which people of later eras have responded to and made use of Augustus' legacy in everything from political rhetoric to popular television programmes. We will ask why opinions of Augustus since his death have varied so dramatically, and how the range of different perspectives from the past inform our own understanding of him.

Objectives

On successful completion of this module, students are expected to be able to:
- discuss, both orally and in writing, the major social and political developments of the Augustan period.
- analyse a wide range of different types of primary evidence (e.g. literature, epigraphy, coinage, art, architecture, etc.) relevant to the Augustan period.
- understand the relationship between the actions of the emperor Augustus in his own lifetime and later uses of and responses to his legacy.
- discuss and analyse a range of later responses to Augustus, including art, architecture, political rhetoric, novels and screen portrayals.

Learning outcomes
Students completing this module are expected to have acquired:
- a knowledge of the major political events and figures of the Augustan era.
- a knowledge of the period's major social and cultural developments.
- a knowledge of the impact and legacy of both in the post-Augustan era.
- a familiarity with the primary evidence used to explore the Augustan period.
- an understanding of issues and problems involved in its analysis.
- a familiarity with responses to the emperor Augustus after his death.

Skills outcomes
On successful completion of this module, all students will have had the opportunity to develop the following skills:
- close critical analysis of primary evidence relating to the Augustan period.
- construction of reasoned and well-supported arguments.
- written communication in assignments and under exam conditions.
- time management and IT skills.
- team-working.
- oral communication.
- understanding how to design and conduct surveys.

Syllabus

Historical topics covered in the first part of the module will include Augustus' rise to political power; the nature of his position; his relationship with the existing Roman elite, the people, the army and the provinces; changes in religion and morality; and literature and architecture in Augustan Rome.

Legacy topics covered in the second part of the module will include responses to Augustus within antiquity, in the medieval period, in Christian legend, in the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the particular examples of Napoleon and Mussolini and Augustus on screen in the 20th-21st centuries.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Revision Class	1	1.00	1.00
Lectures	15	1.00	15.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			179.00
Total Contact hours			21.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

The 179 hours of private study and independent learning on this module breaks down as follows:
- 2 hours reading for each of the 15 lectures = 30 hours
- 14 hours reading / note-taking for each of the 5 seminars = 70 hours
- 40 hours spend researching and writing the assessed essay
- 39 hours revising for and attending the exam

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored:
- at an informal level through lectures and the moderating of online discussions by the module coordinator;
- at a formal level, through the assessed coursework and end-of-module examination;
- via a detailed module questionnaire at the end of teaching on the module.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2,500 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Students on this module can choose whether to submit EITHER a traditional essay OR a project report based on their fieldwork survey for the 50% assessment element.

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr 00 mins	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 26/09/2016

Disclaimer

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• Undergraduate module catalogue
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