History of Antiquity

Teacher(s)

Liard Florence;

Language

French

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

This provides a detailed and updated account of the history of ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Near East. Special attention is brought to social, political, economical and cultural developments, connected histories, processes of migration and expansion, and the impact of these societies on later history. In so doing, the course provides training in the critical assessment and comparative use of different sources, and raises awareness on the recent approaches and methods furthering our knowledge of these ancient peoples.

Content

The course provides an in-depth study of the ancient civilizations that developed in Eurasia and around the Mediterranean. The main focus is on Classical Greek and Roman history, studied in the broader context of their interactions with neighboring societies (notably Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Etruria, Gaul, and Carthage). The chronological scope of the course goes from the birth of writing around 3400/3300 BC. AD, to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476. The course is divided into six chapters that correspond to the main periods of expansion and contraction of territories through time.

Part I. Bronze Age civilizations (4th millennium - 12th century B.C.)
Part II. Archaic civilizations of the Mediterranean (9th - 6th centuries BC)
Part III. The triumph of the city-state: the case of Greece (end of the 6th - 4th centuries BC)
Part IV. The triumph of the city-state : the case of Rome (end of VIth - IIIrd centuries BC)
Part V. Cosmopolitan empires in the Mediterranean (4th - 1st centuries BC)
Part VI. The Roman Empire (31 BC - 476 AD)

The course involves the critical analysis of ancient sources such as historical works, inscriptions, archaeological remains and iconographic documents. Beyond institutional and political history, social organization and economy will be studied, as well as ancient religions (polytheisms, henotheisms, monotheisms), daily-life practices, and the development of arts, philosophy and literature.

Teaching methods

Course with PowerPoint presentation (including the analysis of ancient sources). Students can raise their hand to ask a question. Communications by external scholars on specific aspects studied during the course, as well as visits of sites and museums, will be organized in the course of the semester.
A course syllabus, as well as the PowerPoint presentations presented in the classroom will be available to students : they contain the main thread of information as well as the ancient sources discussed in class. Questions from students are always welcome.
At specific times throughout the semester (e.g. at the end of a course chapter), collective revision exercises will be organized, with the aim to prepare the students to the final examination. 

Evaluation methods

Oral examination with preparation time.

Other information

Table of contents and syllabus; powerpoint presentations that include the various documents commented and analyzed in the classroom. A list of historical dates and events to memorize for the exam will be made available toward the end of the teaching session. 

Bibliography

Une bibliographie de référence est mise à disposition des étudiants lors du cours.

Faculty or entity

> PHLB