mds2gla gladiators and emperors
GLADIATORS AND EMPERORS: SPECTACLE AND SOCIETY IN IMPERIAL ROME
MDS2GLA
2017
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
Roman emperors are famous for their cruelty, extravagance and presiding over lavish spectacles such as the gladiatorial games. For example, in 107 CE, the emperor Trajan celebrated a military victory with 120 days of entertainment in the Colosseum, in which 11,000 gladiatorsfought and 10,000 wild animals were killed. This subject focusses on the emperors of Rome, and considers what makes a successful and popular emperor and conversely what makes a failed emperor and drives opponents to assassination. It investigates the way that emperors manipulated events like the gladiatorial games for the sake of popularity; and the paradox that gladiators and other performers could be both glamours celebrities and also despised rabble.We conclude with Commodus, an emperor-gladiator, and a character in the films Gladiator (2000) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), who tried unsuccessfully to link the highest and lowest roles of ancient Roman society.
SchoolSchool of Humanities & Social Sciences
Credit points15
Subject Co-ordinatorRhiannon Evans
Available to Study Abroad StudentsYes
Subject year levelYear Level 2 - UG
Exchange StudentsYes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
PrerequisitesN/A
Co-requisitesN/A
Incompatible subjectsN/A
Equivalent subjectsN/A
Special conditionsN/A
Learning resources
Readings
Resource Type | Title | Resource Requirement | Author and Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|
Readings | Lives of the Caesars | Prescribed | Suetonius (translated by Catharine Edwards) 2008. | Oxford World Classics. |
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. Have key knowledge of the history, society and culture of Imperial Rome: namely the chronology, significant historical events and gradual social change of the period 14 CE-192 CE
- Activities:
- Lectures, tutorials, quizzes, essays
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)
02. Be able to speak fluently about Roman society
- Activities:
- Tutorials, workshops
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Cultural Literacy)
- Personal and Professional Skills(Teamwork including leadership and working in groups)
03. Critically analyse the evidence for a pre-modern imperial culture, particularly the ability to discuss social status and the precise forms of political power
- Activities:
- Tutorial, workshops, essays
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Cultural Literacy)
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Inquiry/Research)
04. Be able to write fluently about Roman society
- Activities:
- Essays
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Cultural Literacy)
Subject options
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Melbourne, 2017, Semester 2, Blended
Overview
Online enrolmentYes
Maximum enrolment sizeN/A
Enrolment information
Subject Instance Co-ordinatorRhiannon Evans
Class requirements
LectureWeek: 31 - 43
Thirty 0.5 hours lecture per study period on any day including weekend from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via online.
Lecture/FilmWeek: 31 - 43
Two 3.0 hours lecture/film per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
TutorialWeek: 31 - 43
Six 1.0 hours tutorial per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
WorkShopWeek: 31 - 43
Six 1.0 hours workshop per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via online.
Assessments
Assessment element | Comments | % | ILO* |
---|---|---|---|
Quizzes | 10 quizzes completed online | 20 | 01 |
Short essay responses | 4 responses, based on workshop discussion and source analysis. | 40 | 01, 02, 04 |
Research essay | Choice of topics for individual research and analysis. | 40 | 01, 03, 04 |