Since Gibbon’s publication of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", discourse on the later Roman Empire, and the era that followed, has been dominated by narratives of deterioration and decay — and yet a close examination of Late Antiquity reveals a vibrant, innovative confluence of cultures that produced a nexus of philosophical, literary and artistic triumphs. This was also the period in which Roman laws were codified, promulgated and copied as never before, while Europeans adapted to the new faiths of Christianity and Islam. In many ways, modern Europe began in Late Antiquity. This course will offer students a chance to interact critically with that moment when classical civilization evolved into medieval Europe.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Demonstrate superior critical skills in reading sources from Late Antiquity.
- Research and write about Europe during Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.
- Construct and criticise arguments.
- Effectively present well-argued material orally and in writing.
- Demonstrate a good understanding of the ways other societies differ from our own.
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of the ways in which Roman practices (especially law, literature, philosophy and theatre) passed into European culture.
Indicative Assessment
Tutorial presentation (20 mins) and 1500-word research paper on the same topic (30%) — learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.3000-word research essay (40%) — learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
2-hour examination (30%) — learning outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Roger Collins, Early Medieval Europe 300–1000 (London: Palgrave, 2012)Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $3360 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5160 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.