CLAS 2029 - Rome! Rise of Empire from 509BC to AD14

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015

Rome was the greatest city in the ancient world; the Roman empire is one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. This module on Roman Republican History looks at the emergence of city and empire in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. It will also place a special emphasis on the tumultuous and violent politics that overtook the Late Republic as it moved through the first century BC; for even as the power of Rome spread far and wide, serious social problems and intense rivalries emerged at home. We will consider how and why the fight to maintain domestic order became even more desperate and difficult than the task of dominating overseas. In this period of history, all attention shifts onto Rome -- what happened then and there shook the ancient Mediterranean and had far-reaching consequences we still feel today.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code CLAS 2029
    Course Rome! Rise of Empire from 509BC to AD14
    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 12 units of level 1 Arts courses, including CLAS 1003 and or/ CLAS 1004
    Incompatible CLAS 2017 or CLAS 3017
    Course Description Rome was the greatest city in the ancient world; the Roman empire is one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. This module on Roman Republican History looks at the emergence of city and empire in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. It will also place a special emphasis on the tumultuous and violent politics that overtook the Late Republic as it moved through the first century BC; for even as the power of Rome spread far and wide, serious social problems and intense rivalries emerged at home. We will consider how and why the fight to maintain domestic order became even more desperate and difficult than the task of dominating overseas. In this period of history, all attention shifts onto Rome -- what happened then and there shook the ancient Mediterranean and had far-reaching consequences we still feel today.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Han Baltussen

    Han Baltussen
    Margaret O'Hea
    Details as to contact and consultation hours will be on MyUni.
    Course Timetable

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

    Lecture schedule and tutorial programme will be on MyUni before the start of teaching.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1. Understanding and interpreting the key evidence for Roman history during the Republican period
    2. Develop scholarly approach to and methodology  for historical interpretation of texts and material evidence for this period
    3. Become familiar with key Latin terminology for this period
    4. Understanding the key cultural influences on Roman Republican culture
    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)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-4
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 2
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1-2
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 2
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 2
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbooks are:
    • Polybius (Penguin edn),  The Rise of the Roman Empire, transl. I. Scott-Kilvert (any available edn of the Penguin, but preferably a recent one: also available on Kindle)
    • Dillon, M. and Garland, L.  (eds) (2005 edn or later) Ancient Rome From the Early Republic to the Assassination of Julius Caesar. Abingdon: Routledge
    • Rosenstein, N. and Morstein-Marx, R. (eds) (2006 or later) A Companion to the Roman Republic. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. NO NEED TO BUY: this is available as an ebook via the BSL. Students are expected to use this book throughout the semester.
    Recommended Resources
    See MyUni for further reading material.
    Online Learning
    In addition to the required textbooks, other primary works will be available via MyUni and weblinks to scholarly sites.
    Readings for tutorials will be available either from the BSL or online in MyUni. Students are expected to expand beyond their required reading as part of doing scholarly research.
    These required readings will not be available as a hard-copy 'brick'
    , since part of your gradual skills involves research - learning to find resources - beyond.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Two lectures per week, with weekly tutorials. Most tutorials will deepen and extend students' understanding of topics covered by lectures and textbook; some tutorials will extend to new material not covered by the lectures.
    Workload

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

    An average of 12 hours per week, comprising:
    • 3 contact hours
    • average of 3 hours of background-reading and note-taking to consolidate lecture-notes
    • average of 2 hours of tutorial readings and note-taking
    • average of 4 hours of research (reading and note-taking), cogitation, organisation and writing of assignments
    Learning Activities Summary
    Lecture and tutorial lists are provided on MyUni before the start of semester.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Our tutorial programme is embedded with Small Group Discovery work  throughout the semester. This includes - but is not restricted to - analysing, discussing and presenting primary material in small groups within the tutorial class.
  • Assessment

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

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

    Assessment Summary
    • 1,500 word tutorial paper (20%), to be chosen from the tutorial programme on MyUni
    • 2,000 word essay (30%); due date,choice of topics and reading list all on MyUni
    • tutorial participation in the form of tutorial summaries (10%),
    • 2 hour exam at the end of semester (40%)
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Regular attendance at lectures and tutorials is expected of all students in this course.
    Assessment Detail
    • Marks for tutorial papers and essays are provided to students in the format of a mark out of 100, along with a grade (F, P, Cr, D or HD).  They are automatically converted to their final weightings (20% for tute paper, 30% for essay) by the course co-ordinator.
    • Guides to formatting, structure and citation styles for both tutorial paper and essay are on MyUni for this course. Failure to complywith the recommended citation style in this course will result in apenalty of 5% of the mark deducted from the awarded mark.*
    • Word limits for tutorial papers and essay are approximate guides only. However, a penalty will apply to any paper less than 66% of theword limit, or more  than 133% of the word limit. This penalty will be a deduction of 5% of the final mark for that paper.*
    • In addition to the tutorial paper  and research essay, there will bea compulsory end-of-semester formal exam which covers all the material from the course. Copies of previous exam papers will be made available on MyUni for this course. There will be no alternative form of assessment to the exam component of this course.
    • Rules pertaining to late submissions for the tutorial summary, the tutorial paper and research essay are fully described on MyUni for thiscourse.
    * For example, -5% of an awarded mark of 80/100 for an essay = -4%; therefore, student is given a penalised mark of 76%. If a student has a 60/100 mark for an essay, -5% of that score = -3%, hence final penalised mark = 57%.  The effect of this penalty is of course much less for the final weighted mark (an essay being only 35% of the total mark for the course).
    Submission
    • Tutorial papers to be submitted in person, in tutorial, to tutor on the day that tutorial topic is discussed in class. Each must be printed out with a  green Classics coversheet obtained from School of Humanities Office on Level 7, Napier Building. This coversheet must be read and  signed.  No tute papers are to be submitted by email. Tutorial paper, with feedback sheet, will normally be returned within 10 working days of submission.
    • Essay to be submitted ONLINE via MyUni. Online submission will bedeemed equivalent to having read and signed the declaration concerningoriginality of work that is on the printed-out coversheets for Classics.
    • Essays will not be returned to students. Feedback sheet and marks will instead be available via the My Grades/Grade Centre area on MyUni for this course.
    • Students must keep a copy of all assignments until their originals have been returned to them.
    • Classics staff will not read or comment on any first drafts of papers. However, students are encouraged to talk to their tutor about theiressay plan and direction of  argument.
    • Any student with an ongoing, serious medical or personal condition which is likely to impact significantly on work is strongly recommendedto consult with a Student Counsellor or Disability Liaison Officer at the start of semester. A plan can then be negotiated with the course co-ordinator about any necessary modifications to  assessment, such as extension of due dates (although there will be no exemptions from all the assignments, or from regular tutorial and lecture attendances).
    • For the tutorial paper and essay, university-wide rules for the application for an extension on medical or compassionate grounds apply. Students must download the appropriate form from the examinations website (a link is provided in MyUni), complete all relevant documentation, and submit to the School of Humanities office within 5 working days of the relevant problem  commencing, and in all cases before the due date. Applications are not automatically approved; students will be informed by email as soon as possible during regular working hours whether or not theirs has been approved. Applications submitted electronically on the weekend will not be considered until after 9 am Monday morning. In any case, extensions are not granted for more than 2 weeks after the due date, or beyond the end of Week 12, whichever comes first.
    • Unless a prior extension has been granted, any late submission will normally incur the following penalty: up to one week late, 10% of the graded mark deducted from that mark; for the second week, 20% of the graded mark to be deducted from that mark. Any unauthorised submission more than 2 weeks overdue will be returned unmarked, and no alternative form of assessment will be available.
    • There is no possibility to resubmit any written assignment in this course. 
    • If a student is dissatisfied with a mark for the essay, he or she should first discuss the assessment with the tutor. If, after thisconsultation, the student stil lfeels that he or she has been unfairly marked, he or she has the right to request a second marker. The paper in question should then be re-printed and a fresh copy will then be made available to a second marker within the Classics Dept, who will mark it "blind". The final mark will be an average of the first and second marks. There is no opportunity for any further re-marking. Students should note that the final, averaged mark could be lower than the original mark, and so should consider this option carefully. The option for remarking is not available for tutorial papers.
    • Before submitting their first assignment in this course, students must all ensure that they read the Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism provided on MyUni for this course. Plagiarism is a serious issue. They should also note that their signature on the coversheet constitutes their acknowledgement that their work is their own, and not plagiarised.  Any work suspected by the tutor of intentional plagiarism will be forwarded to the Head of Discipline, who will then investigate the matter formally. The relevant student will be invited to a meeting with the Head of Discipline and the course co-ordinator. If, upon investigation the balance of evidence suggests intentional plagiarism, the work will be entered with a mark of 0%, with no possibility of redemption, and the case will be forwarded to the University's Register of plagiarism. The student will be counselled as to how best to avoid committing acts of plagiarism. Students should note that more than 3 counts of plagiarism on this register can result in expulsion from the University.
    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.

    50-64% P
    • Basic understanding;
    • basic readings;
    • adequate knowledge of relevant concepts;
    • sound, evidence-based argument;
    • adequate expression & presentation.
    65-74% Cr
    • High level of understanding;
    • thorough understanding of basic texts;
    • sound knowledge of relevant concepts;
    • analytical, evaluative skills;strong expression & presentation.
    75-84% D
    • Insightful understanding;
    • evidence of additional independent reading;
    • deeper understanding of more subtle concepts;
    • analytical,evaluative skills;
    • well-developed expression & presentation.
    85-100% HD
    • exceptional understanding;
    • strong evidence of additional independent reading;
    • deeper understanding of more subtle concepts;
    • analytical, evaluative skills;
    • highly-developed expression & presentation;
    • originality & independent thought.

    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
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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