The decline and fall of the Roman Empire

Aims

This course aims to:

• introduce you to the main themes of the history of the later Roman empire
   
• provide you with a range of primary evidence, both literary and visual
   
• encourage you to reflect on the nature of the historical changes that the later Roman empire experienced

Course content

This course traces the history of the Mediterranean and Near East from the crisis period and accession of Diocletian in 284 to the dissolution of the Roman Empire as a unified political structure in the late 5th century. Three themes will stand in the centre of our attention.

First, we will explore the structure of the Roman state at the height of its power. In the period from the late 3rd century onwards, the imperial administration became more present in the lives of its subjects than ever before. We will look at the shape of the ideologies on which emperors drew to justify the formation of a more energetic state apparatus. 

Secondly, we will explore the relationship between state power and the Christian church. After the conversion of the emperor Constantine, Christianity gradually became the dominant religion in the Mediterranean and Near East. How did this development change Roman conceptions of the body and permissible sexual behaviour? What role did religious institutions and charismatic leaders play? How did Roman policies towards minority groups change?

Thirdly, we will analyse the factors that led to the breakup of the Roman Empire. The 5th century saw the western half of the empire fragment into a group of successor states. But the eastern Mediterranean entered a prolonged period of stability and economic growth. We will trace the reasons for the weakening of imperial authority, examine the impact of neighbouring populations pressuring at the borders (which the Romans would refer to as ‘barbarians’), and explore the effects of the end of the western empire.

What to expect on this course

The course will be taught in classroom sessions, with plenty of images to enable you to familiarise yourself with the content.

Course sessions

1. From Crisis to Recovery
   We start by examining what went wrong in the 3rd-century crisis and how Diocletian's reforms changed the empire
    
2. Constantine and Christianity
   We ask what attracted the emperor Constantine to a small and persecuted 
   sect and what was the impact of his conversion on the church.
    
3. Monks and Heretics
   We consider how we should understand the appearance of new religious individuals, who displayed their devotion in extreme forms, and ask why heresy became so important.
    
4. Late Roman Art and Architecture 
   We look at the transformation that took place in Roman visual arts and try to relate this to broader changes in society.
    
5. The Fall of the Western empire
   We finish by looking at the factors that led to the dissolution of the Roman state in the western empire.

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, you will gain a greater understanding of the subject and you should be able to:

• understand the social, economic and cultural history of the Roman Empire 
  from the late 3rd to the late 5th century AD and to the literature and art 
  produced in this period
   
• trace the ways in which Christianity reshaped conceptions of the body and permissible sexual conduct in the late-antique world
   
• analyse the relationship between state power and religious forms of authority in the Roman Empire

Required reading

There is no required reading for this course. See Course materials for supplementary reading once registered.