MA Classics and Ancient History / Course details

This course aims to introduce you into the fascinating world of inscriptions in the Roman Empire. You will first be taught the necessary skills to deal with the quite technical discipline of epigraphy. Afterwards, we will deal with case studies, which show you how inscriptions are invaluable tools to learn more about social life, religious practices and cultural history of the Roman world. The course includes two field trips: to Chester, and to Hadrian’s Wall (Vindolanda) . The field trips will entail a guided tour and reading of the inscriptions but will only take place subject to UK government guidance.

After this course, students understand the importance of epigraphy for the study of the Roman Empire for diverse fields as institutional, religious, social and cultural history, as well as for linguistics. They are able to independently look up an edition of an inscription (using both bibliographical tools and online databases), comment on it ad assess its value for a study of the broader picture.  

• an awareness and understanding of the subject
• knowledge of a range of epigraphic, linguistic and archaeological/iconographical evidence and the bibliographical tools that provide access to it
• critical understanding of the strengths and limitations of different types of epigraphical evidence.

• to pose questions about complex issues
• to assimilate and summarize large quantities of evidence
• to locate and retrieve relevant information from primary sources
• to conduct independent research
• to conduct bibliographic searches, and to present the results in a professional manner with appropriate reference to sources and modern published scholarship

• To present a sustained critical argument effectively in writing and orally
• To manage time
• To engage in critical discussion and debate.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• construct an argument in written and oral form
• pose questions about complex issues
• assimilate and summarise large quantities of evidence
• locate and retrieve relevant information from primary sources
• conduct bibliographic searches
• present results in a professional manner with appropriate reference to sources and modern published scholarship
• use e-resources and gain knowledge of research methods and resources
• manage time and resources; engage in critical discussion

FEEDBACK METHODS

 Chr. Bruun, J. Edmondson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Roman Epigraphy (Oxford, 2014)

Please note that the field trips will only take place subject to UK government guidance.