CLAS 3027 - Pagans, Saints and Magic in Late Antiquity

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

This is a cultural history course that looks at issues that were at the centre of social change in Late Antiquity (3rd-6th centuries AD). The later Roman empire witnessed major cultural upheavals and political collapse; according to many contemporaries, the rise of Christianity and its attempts to be the only religion within the empire was at the centre of much of this change. Debate spilled out onto streets as civil riot, pogroms and vandalism in places such as Athens, Alexandria and Antioch. European views of religious (in)tolerance, orthodoxy, heresy and magic developed within this period, as did the notion of the 'holy man', power of the 'relic' and personal asceticism as an ideal. In particular, this course will use literary sources in translation to examine the history of pagan religions in Late Antiquity, their reactions and challenges to the rise of Christianity. We will study the rise of the cult of the martyr and of asceticism, using contemporary poetry, letters and biographies. Finally, the intertwining concepts of magic and miracles will be explored in the context of Christianity and a variety of pagan and philosophical groups, with an emphasis on the eastern Mediterranean world.

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Course Details

Course Code	CLAS 3027
Course	Pagans, Saints and Magic in Late Antiquity
Coordinating Unit	Classics, Archaeology and Ancient History
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 6 units of Level II undergraduate study including at least 3 units of Level II Classics courses
Incompatible	CLAS 2103
Biennial Course	Course offered in even years
Assessment	Blog entry 10%, 10 x Seminar summaries (100 words each) 10%, Research essay 40%, Exam 40%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Margaret O'Hea

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

There will be one lecture per week for 12 weeks and one two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks, starting in week 2.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	understand the historical sequence of the main developments in Late Antique religious history
2	develop a scholarly approach to the historical analysis of primary sources, both literary and documentary
3	encourage wider readings and the application of a broader “historical” perspective to contemporary issues, such as religious tolerance and intolerance in Europe and of freedom of speech
4	engage productively and respectfully with their peers via problem solving and the sharing of information
5	use learning technologies relevant to the University’s learning environment

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1-2
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2, 4
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	4
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	3
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	4

Learning Resources

Required Resources

If possible, purchase the following set of primary sources:

Valantasis, R. (2000) Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
NB: Paperbacks can be ordered from Booktopia, Angus and Robertson etc, but there is currently no ebook, and availablility may be limited. Buy a second-hand copy if you can.
A copy of this book will be placed in Reserve in the Library for short-term loans, and other primary sources will be made available online in MyUni.

If you cannot get your hands on this, another, less comprehensive but cheaper sourcebook is
MacMullen, R. (1992) Paganism and Christianity 100-425 C.E.. Fortress Press.

Recommended Resources

For those who want to go further, buy the ebook of:
Cameron, A. (2010) The Last Pagans of Rome.

Another older, but readable optional purchase is:
MacMullen, R. (1999) Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries. Yale: Yale University Press

Online Learning

Reading lists, websites and other resources will be made available online in MyUni.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures will provide background to the seminar topics. These two-hour classes will rely heavily on the readings of both primary and secondary sources by students, but they will also build on the previous weeks' readings. They are intended to create both a knowledge base and establish practice in historical analysis.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

WORKLOAD                                                              TOTAL HOURS

1 Lecture pw    (structured learning)                            12

2-hr seminar pw   (structured learning)                  20 (10 weeks only)*

6 research (reading and note-taking) hrs pw              72

4.333 assignment prep hours pw 48


Average pw = 13 hrs*                                            Total = 156 Hours

Learning Activities Summary

Lecture topics may vary from published schedule, which will be provided online in MyUni at the start of the semester. The seminar programme will be available online and in downloadable form on MyUni at the start of semester.

Small Group Discovery Experience

SGDE within seminars throughout semester on topics within programme.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Seminar paper	Formative and Summative	See My Uni - choice of seminar topics in first half of semester	20%	1-4
Research Essay	Formative and Summative	Monday Week 9	40%	1-4
Written exam (3 questions in 2 hrs, covering the full seminar programme)	Summative	Formal exam period	40%	1-3

Due to the current COVID-19 situation modified arrangements have been made to assessments to facilitate remote learning and teaching. Assessment details provided here reflect recent updates.

1. A seminar paper, chosen from the weekly seminar topics in the first half of the course (25%). Choose one from Weeks 3, 4 or 5. (ca 1250 words)

2. A seminar paper, chosen from the weekly seminar topics in the second half of the course (25%). Choose one from Weeks 8, 10 or 11. (ca 1250 words)

3. Research Essay (50%), due 1st June. There is only one topic on which to write.

Assessment Detail

Research essay: students will be required to write a 2750 word research essay due in Week 9 (topics to be detailed in MyUni) = 40% weighting.
Seminar paper: ca 1250 word seminar paper on one of the topics in the first half of the semester (for programme, see MyUni) = 20% weighting
Exam: a 2-hour exam in the format of essay-type answers, to be held during the university exam period = 40% weighting

Submission

All will be submitted online as attached essays in Word (doc, docx) or pdf. Details about times will be online in MyUni before the start of semester.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator