Learning outcomes

-       To develop specialized knowledge in the field of history and to understand the current historical debates and methods;

-       To develop general knowledge by opening to other disciplines and explore their connections with history;

-       To develop abilities in critical reasoning and scientific methodology 

 

Goals

At the end of the course, the student is expected to: 

-       Have obtained a detailed knowledge of the main historical milestones of the ancient world;

-       To be able to contextualize the main actors and events in the timeline of ancient history;

-       To be able to explain concepts and realities pertaining to the political, philosophical, or economical history of the ancient world that were discussed in class;

-       To compare institutions, structures, and facts pertaining to ancient Mediterranean societies;

-       To explain the connections that took place between ancient Mediterranean peoples;

-       To become familiar with ancient cultural heritage and their impact on Western societies

Content

The course provides an introduction to the history of the ancient Mediterranean civilizations, with a chronological framework spanning from the advent of writing in the 4th millennium BC down to the reign of Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century AD.

The course is structured into six chronocultural sections, with the aim to examine in the best possible way the numerous interactions between the civilizations that emerged and developed around the Mediterranean : I. Bronze Age civilisations; II. Archaic civilisations in the Mediterranean; III. The advent of ancient Greek cities; IV. The advent of the city of Rome; V. cosmopolitan empires in the Mediterranean; VI. The Roman empire.  

For each of these sections, the course examines the main historical events, as well as the social, political and institutional structures of ancient societies, and cultural interactions between peoples. Special attention will be shed on the history of people, on collective identities and representations, on economical and political dynamics and their transformations through time, while also providing an update on the state of scientific research on these topics.

Table of contents

Part I : Bronze Age civilizations

 

Chapiter 1. The advent of complex societies (4th millennium – 16th century BC)

Chapiter 2. Trade and power in the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean (ca. 15th – 12th century BC)

Chapter 3. The different fate of the Ancient Near East : A relative continuity between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (16th – 6th century BC)

 

Part II : Archaic civilizations of the Mediterranean (9th – 6th century BC)

 

Chapter 1. Greek city-states

Chapter 2. The Etruscans

Chapter 3. The Roman monarchy

 

Part III : The apogee of the Greek city-state (late 6th – 4th century BC)

 

Chapter 1. The Persian Wars and the Golden Age of Athens

Chapter 2. The Peloponnesian War and the rise of Sparta

Chapter 3. The struggle for Hegemony in the 4th century BC

 

Part IV. The rise of the city of Rome (late 6th – 3rd century BC)

Chapter 1. The advent of the republican system : politics and society

Chapter 2. Rome as a regional power

Chapter 3. The Roman conquest of the Italian Peninsula (5th – 3rd century BC)

 

Part V. Cosmopolitan empires in the Mediterranean (4th – 1st century BC)

 

Chapter 1. The Macedonian kingdom under the Argead dynasty

Chapter 2. Hellenistic kingdoms and dynasties

Chapter 3. The hegemony of Rome in the Mediterranean and beyond

Chapter 4. Other major empires across the globe

 

Part VI. The Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD)

 

Chapter 1. The crisis and end of the Republic (133 – 30 BC)

Chapter 2. the Principate (ca. 27 BC – 14 AD)

Chapter 3. The High Roman Empire (14 – 235 AD)

Chapter 4. The Low Roman Empire until the reign of Diocletian (235 – 305 AD)

 

Assessment method

Written exam with broad as well as specific questions.

Sources, references and any support material

 The course materials include ancient texts, illustrations of the main items of material culture (artifacts, architectural structures), maps and plans which are intended to help the student visualize the main sources that are available to the historian, as well as the research methods and critical approach to apply to ancient sources. 

A detailed outline of the course, copies of the ancient sources analyzed in class, as well as a list of references will be made available to the students on Webcampus.

Language of instruction

Français