The Fall of Rome and Its Myth 2500-OG-EN-FRIM

The complex historical process that transformed the forms of governance and social organization in the West of Europe from the fifth to the seventh century was conceptualized in the European historical, political and cultural traditions as „the fall of Rome”. The idea of the collapse of the great empire was not an innocent description of the „historical facts” but a powerful philosophical and historiographical construct that was variously employed in the following centuries up to contemporary times. During the course, we will investigate four main motives which recur in various retellings and explanations of the „fall of Rome”: a) stagnation and decadence; b) the barbarian invasions; c) Christianity; d) resilience. We will examine the genealogy of these concepts in the primary sources, their development in the modern interpretations and their reverberations in contemporary culture.

Total student workload

Contact hours with teacher: np. - participation discussion seminar – 20 hrs - consultations- 30 hrs Self-study hours: np. - preparation for discussion seminar - 20 hrs - preparation to the final examination - 20 hrs Altogether: 90 hrs (3 ECTS)

Learning outcomes - knowledge

Student W1: has advanced knowledge of the political system of the late Roman empire and of social, cultural and religious transformations characteristic for this period of the Roman history (K_W09)

Learning outcomes - skills

Student U1: can search, analyze, evaluate the primary sources on the late Roman history and has the ability to use the secondary literature in an informed and critical manner (K_U01)

Learning outcomes - social competencies

Student K1: understands the significance of the late Roman history for the development of the European societies and is sensitive to the reception of late Roman empire and the story of its fall in the modern and contemporary culture

Teaching methods

Expository teaching methods: - participatory lecture Exploratory teaching methods: - seminar - classic problem-solving

Prerequisites

None.

Course coordinators

Marta Szada

Assessment criteria

Assessment methods:
– activity during the class – U1, K1
– written examination – W1

Assessment criteria:
The final grade consists of the assessment of class participation (50%) and the result of the written test at the end of the semester (50%). Both requirements have to be met to receive a grade.
The student is expected to attend class regularly: those that miss more than 50% or more of their classes (unexcused) will receive an F. The student is also expected to prepare reading assignments at home to contribute to discussions in class.

Grading scale of the written test:

fail - 50% or less
satisfactory – 51-63%
satisfactory plus- 64–70%
good – 71–80%
good plus- 81–87%
very good- 88–100%

Practical placement

not applicable

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2500-OG-EN-FRIM in USOSweb