Rome: the Arch of Constantine and its inscription
This course will look at the literary sources for the reign of Constantine, in particular the Life of Constantine by Eusebius, in the context of the other evidence for this crucial reign.
Teaching will be a weekly two-hour class, in Semester I. Students will be expected to read texts and examine other evidence closely and critically. They will make at least one presentation to the class.
They should hand in their first essay (1,500 words) in the fifth week of the semester:
What do you see as original in Eusebius' Life of Constantine?
Assessment will be
I (50%) by one 2,000 word essay
Due in on the last day of the semester
Compare and contrast two modern discussions of Constantine and his reign: how convincing an account do they give?
(For an overview up to 2006, see Lenski, Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine, Introduction, 6-13)
II An unseen test in the last week of the semester; students will be expected to write a close commentary on selections (gobbets) taken from:
Eusebius, Life of Constantine, translation and commentary by Averil Cameron and Stuart Hall (Oxford 1999): NPNF tranlation online
Week 1
Read Zosimus, New History (the pagan viewpoint) trans. R. Ridley, (Melbourne, 1982): 1814 translation online, Book 2
Week 2
Read the History of the Church, Books 8-10
Eusebius: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, 59-66; Book 4, 33-37.
Week 3
The models: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 1, 1-11.
Read the Old Testament books of Exodus, Numbers 20-25, Deuteronomy 31-end.
Week 4
Youth : read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 1, 12-24, Book 2, 49-55
Description or panegyric?
What are the problems in discussing a childhood?
Week 5
The enemies
Maxentius: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 1, 25-48
Licinius: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 1, 49-2, 19
See Simon Corcoran, 'Before Constantine' , Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine, 35-58.
Read Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors:ANF translation online
READING WEEK
Week 6
Works: the emperor's voice
Read the laws ascribed to Constantine, in the Life and in the Theodosian Code
Reports I
Week 7
The church: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 2, 20-3, 24; Book 4
Reports II
Week 8
Building
The Holy Land: read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, 25-47, Book 4, 40-47
Elsewhere : read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, 48-58, Book 4, 38-39, 58-60.
Reports III
Week 9
'Bishop of those outside': read Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 4, 1-37, 48-end.
Week 10
In class test.
Page created March 30 2008; last updated October 26, 2009