131-043 Roman History: Three Centuries of Empire

Usually 25 points of first year history, see Prerequisites.

This subject moves from the Augustan Principate to the age of Diocletian and Constantine. How efficient was the dynastic and military monarchy established by Augustus? How important were the characters of individual emperors? How well or badly was the Roman world ruled? How far does the 3rd century constitute a crisis? How was the empire then restructured and converted to Christianity? Students will focus on questions of historical method: How does one control sources subject to heavy political and religious bias? On completion of the subject students should have a good knowledge of the history of the Roman world in its golden age and subsequent transformation.