Module manager: Giacomo Savani
Email: g.savani@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| CLAS2890 | The City in the Roman World |
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module will trace the origins and development of cities in the Roman world, examining the contributions made by both local peoples and the Roman state. We will familiarise ourselves with urban layouts and buildings, and use the physical fabric of the cities to help us understand the activities which went on within them. We will also set individual cities into the wider context of the Roman empire, looking at their interactions with one another and considering how to interpret the physical similarities and differences between them. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module introduces students to the character of Roman urbanism and the factors which shaped it. Students will learn to analyse and discuss the physical remains of Roman cities in their local social and political context, as well as exploring what the study of Roman urbanism can contribute to our wider understanding of ancient society and politics. They will engage with modern scholarly debates on topics such as imperialism, cultural exchange, the relationship between space and society and the relationship between text and material culture.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Assess the nature and functions of cities in a Roman context
2. Critically analyse scholarly viewpoints and debates relevant to the study of Roman urbanism
3. Analyse and evaluate the complex relationship between space and society through detailed critique of the physical fabric of Roman cities and the activities which went on within them
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Independently identify, evaluate and use appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and independent research
5. Evaluate different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas
6. Build a coherent written argument supported by relevant evidence
For the Roman elite, the ideas of civilisation and of the city were inseparable. Cities were essential centres for government and administration, for displays of status, and for economic exchange. But how had they developed in the first place, who had shaped the process, and how were they actually used by their inhabitants? This module will trace the origins and development of cities in the Roman world, examining the contributions made by both local peoples and the Roman state. We will familiarise ourselves with urban layouts and buildings, and use the physical fabric of the cities to help us understand the activities which went on within them. We will also set individual cities into the wider context of the Roman empire, looking at their interactions with one another and thinking about how we should interpret the physical similarities and differences between them. The course will close by looking at how Roman urbanism began to change in the late antique period.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students will receive formative feedback from the module tutor during class contact hours. Seminars especially (but also to a more limited extent lectures) will offer students the opportunity to engage directly with primary sources, including the material remains of ancient cities, and secondary scholarship. They will be able to practise analysing these materials or responding to their arguments in class, where discussions with peers and input from the module tutor will provide students with formative feedback on their thinking. Students will additionally receive detailed summative feedback on their first piece of coursework before they begin work on the second piece of coursework. Students will be encouraged to attend the module tutor’s drop-in hours to discuss the module content or their coursework preparation, or to request further clarification of feedback already provided on assessed work.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Secondary scholarship assessment | 50 |
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 25/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team