Roman Britain: An Introduction

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge is required

Content of Course

1. New Discoveries in Roman Britain; the Celtic Background.

2. Julius Caesar; Claudius and the Conquest of Britain.

3. Early History of the Province: rebellion of Boudicca.

4. Governorship of Agricola.

5. The Northern Frontier (Walls of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius).

6. Later History of the Province.

7. Army and Administration.

8. Cultural Change in Britain.

9. Religious Developments in Roman Britain.

10.Visit to National Museum of Scotland to view its large collection of Roman artefact.

Teaching method(s)

Lectures and class discussions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate familiarity with the earliest period in British history for which written records exist;

• Engage with the study of history using primary source materials such as literary texts (Tacitus), inscriptions and handwritten documents (e.g. the writing tablets from Vindolanda and London).

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

• Breeze, David, 2006. Roman Scotland. London: Batsford.

• de la Bedoyère, Guy, 2006. Roman Britain – A New History. London: Thames and Hudson.

• Mattingly, David, 2007. An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire. London: Penguin.

• Moorhead, S. and Stuttard, D., 2016. The Romans Who Shaped Britain. London: Thames and Hudson.

Class Handouts

4-5 pages will be provided weekly.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.