HIS4118 – Rome and the Rise of Its Empire (509–31 BCE)
Course description
Course content
In 386 BCE Rome was sacked by itinerant Gallic tribes, and was still a regional power of limited relevance, whereas in 146 BCE it had built a powerful Mediterranean empire, able to destroy once-mighty cities such as Carthage and Corinth, and to depose powerful Hellenistic kings. The rise of Rome from a humble city-state to an imperial power able to dominate the Mediterranean area for centuries is in its own right a historiographical problem that has caused profound reflections and debates already from antiquity. This process of conquest and imperialism in the Mediterranean area is inextricably intertwined with the history of the Italian peoples, who were ‘unified’ under Roman rule already in the third century BCE.
This course will look at the political, cultural, and economic dimension of Roman imperialism, the relevant primary sources and the current historiographical debates. Firstly, we will study the motives of Roman aggression and the causes for their success. Secondly, we will also look at the ways in which the Romans understood and conceptualised their imperial practices as ‘self-defence’ and ‘just war’. Thirdly, we will consider the role of the other Italian peoples in the Roman imperial project, and how the peninsula underwent processes of integration and cultural change that was instrumental to, but not necessarily bound with, Roman imperial expansion.
The "Italian question" is one of the key elements for our comprehension of the history of Republican Rome, and it had profound consequences in the social and political crisis which led to the fall of the Republic and the institution of Imperial autocracy towards the end of the first century BCE. How should we understand the dynamics of this long process of integration and the immense change it caused?
Learning outcome
At the end of the course the students will be able to:
- Show a strong understanding of the process of conquering the Roman empire, identifying, prioritising, and linking key factors and events.
- Demonstrate an advanced critical awareness of scholarly interpretations on Roman imperial expansion.
- Analyse and understand the content and the context of key sources, including literary texts, archaeological material, inscriptions, and coins.
- Critically relate relevant scholarly interpretations to sources in building arguments.
- Present and defend their arguments in a clear, articulate, and professional way in both written and oral form.
Admission to the course
The course is available to students admitted to European History (master) and Historie (master).
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with HIS2118 – Rome and the Rise of Its Empire (509–31 BCE).
Teaching
The course will be taught in the form of 12 two hour sessions, consisting of one hour lecture and one hour seminar. The teaching schedule is available on the semester page.
Obligatory assignment:
Students must pass one compulsory half term commentary on a short extract from a primary source, up to two pages.
The commentary must be approved to be allowed to the final exam.
Examination
The course is assessed by a term paper. Your paper must not exceed 4500 words, notes included. Attachments and/or bibliography are not included in the word count.???
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.