DSMB29 What Inscriptions May Reveal: Discovering the Roman World through Epigraphy

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2022
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Taught partially online.
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Daniela Urbanová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Catarina Gaspar, PhD (lecturer)
Silvia Tantimonaco, PhD (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Melounová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Markéta Melounová, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 29. 9. 16:00–17:40 D32, Thu 6. 10. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 13. 10. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 20. 10. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 27. 10. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 3. 11. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 24. 11. 16:00–17:40 D31, Thu 1. 12. 16:00–17:40 D31
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Latin is an advantage, but not obligatory.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course will provide students with a deep insight into the life of the inhabitants of the Roman Republic and Empire through epigraphic evidence. The course will be organized thematically and will present various aspects of the daily life in Roman times based on Latin (or, eventually, Greek) inscriptions.
The course is open for students of various fields: the inscriptions will be presented both in the Latin (or Greek) original and in English translation.
Learning outcomes
After the completion of the course, students will
- be acquainted with the basics of the epigraphic work
- be able to search for inscriptions in specialised databases using various search criteria
- understand the contribution of epigraphy to the study of the life in ancient Rome, both private and public
Syllabus
  • Introduction: where to find an inscription and how to read it (the basic epigraphic corpora & databases, abbreviations etc.; an introduction into Latin alphabet, forms of script)
  • A day in a Roman necropolis; The family and society
  • Deities and devotion, the transition between pagan and Christian world – a hybrid culture
  • Public life of a Roman town; Embellishing a Roman town
  • A glimpse into the private life of an ordinary Roman I: Entering a Roman domus, going to the forum
  • A glimpse into the private life of an ordinary Roman II: Protective versus harmful magic
  • Workshop I (a field trip): Roman Vindobona
  • Workshop II (live transmission): Museu do Teatro Romano, Lisbon
  • Final test
Literature
    required literature
  • The Oxford handbook of Roman epigraphy. Edited by Christer Bruun - J. C. Edmondson. Oxford: Oxford University Press. xxxiv, 888. ISBN 9780190860301. 2015. info
    recommended literature
  • Epigraphic evidence : ancient history from inscriptions. Edited by John P. Bodel. 1st pub. London: Routledge. xxvi, 246. ISBN 0415116236. 2001. info
  • From document to history : epigraphic insights into the Greco-Roman world. Edited by Carlos F. Noreña - Nikolaos Papazarkadas. Leiden: Brill. xvii, 477. ISBN 9789004382879. 2019. info
  • Inscriptions in the private sphere in the Greco-Roman world. Edited by Rebecca Benefiel - Peter Keegan. Leiden: Brill. xviii, 292. ISBN 9789004307117. 2016. info
  • The Epigraphic Landscape of Roman Italy. Edited by Alison Elizabeth Cooley. London: Institute of Classical Studies, School of Advanced study, University of London. xiv, 212. ISBN 0900587849. 2000. info
  • FORBIS, Elizabeth. Municipal virtues in the Roman Empire :the evidence of Italian honorary inscriptions. Stuttgart: B.G. Teubner. vi, 299 s. ISBN 3-519-07628-4. 1996. info
Teaching methods
Lecture, group discussion, workshop
Assessment methods
Attending the lectures (at least four).
A written test based on the knowledge/skills acquired during the course.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
Teacher's information
Dates of lectures: 29/9, 6/10, 13/10, 20/10, 27/10, 24/11, 1/12.

Field trip to Vienna: 14/10.

For contacting teachers: cgaspar1@campus.ul.pt; silvia.tantimonaco@gmail.com; urbanova@phil.muni.cz; melounova@phil.muni.cz
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