DSBcA13 Intermediate Period between Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 4 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Jarmila Bednaříková, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Marek Todorov (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jarmila Bednaříková, CSc.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
Completion of courses Roman History I and II is ideal but by no means mandatory; mandatory in case of the Ancient history students (except for the minor study plan).
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
Course objectives
The course is taught both by classic lectures and by simulation teaching methods with interdisciplinary elements. The main aim of the innovated course is to deepen the understanding of all the historical processess that steadily turned the antiquity into the medieval ages. This goal is achieved by disscussion between the students and teacher in the simulated meetings of the Senate and Imperial Council. The second aim of the course lies in comparing the late antiquity with the modern times. Lectures of the experts from the FSS and ESF MU, municipal self-government a phd students are included in the course. Students are expected to present their ideas not only in the lectures, but also in the social network created for the purposes of the simulation teachings.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- To understand very well how ancient society transformed into medieval society and to understand the problems that late antiquity faced.
- To deepen critical work with historical sources and the ability to interpret them.
- To recognize the benefits of interdisciplinarity for selected topics.
- To understand the analogies and differences in the historical processes of transitional periods of history and learn to correctly distinguish real and apparent similarities between history and the present.
- To develop the ability to argue in public debate.
Syllabus
  • 1. Dividing of students into a simulated Imperial Council and Senate groups. Explanation of the simulation teaching method, the objectives of the innovated course and the tasks of the both political institutions. Introduction to the system and functioning of the highest offices of late antiquity. Introduction to the so-called 'transitional periods of human history'.
  • 2. Becoming acquainted with the topics of inflation in the Late Roman Empire, problems of the state budget, tax policy and difficulties in collecting taxes. Simulated sessions of the Senate and the Imperial Council present their solutions, which are confronted with the real measures of the late Roman Empire in the form of discussion.
  • 3. Laying out the issues of the frequent usurpations of imperial power and the issues of the late Roman bureaucracy as a whole. Explaining the situation in Roman cities, the duties of the municipal government, the problems of urban agriculture (villae-type estates) and crafts. Updating the topics to the present and their application in simulation teaching.
  • 4. Topics related to the late Roman countryside. Introducing the issues of latifundia, colonies, labour shortages in the countryside and the growth of uncultivated land. Explaining the issues related to large economic entities. Updating ancient themes with contemporary alternative economic practices. Addressing the topics presented in simulated learning sessions.
  • 5. Visit to the Senate of the Czech Republic and attending the meeting of this chamber of parliament. Comparison of its tasks with the ancient Roman Senate and the Imperial Council. Preparing the written letter of impressions of this particular meeting.
  • 6. The problems of the Roman army related to the issues of the activation of the "barbarian" world, the defence of the state, the decline of citizenship and the state budget. The simulated sessions will include, among other things, a reflection on the issue of recruiting recruits for the army and resources for the defence of the empire, the use of barbarians in the defence of the empire, as well as an analysis of Roman armour and equipment.
  • 7. The internal security of the empire and the great social movements (bagaudi, circumcelliones, latrones). The secret police and the internal intelligence service. Students mainly address the questions of how large social revolts could have been calmed without resorting to extreme violence, but they also look for their roots. They also act as advocati diaboli and defend these extreme solutions.
  • 8. The development of the "barbarians" in the Roman period and the types of their integration into the Roman Empire. Students assess the historical processes that led to the increased invasiveness of the "barbarian" world and look for the best ways in which new foreigners could be integrated into the society of the empire, weighing the economic and military advantages and disadvantages of such integration. They look at the similarities with the development of the "barbarians" who emerged during the so-called Great Migration of peoples and in other historical eras.
  • 9. "Integration inside out". Topics including the integration of the Roman population into the so-called barbarian kingdoms, the role of the Romans and Roman law in their development, the main features of the "barbarian kingdoms" and the Christianization of the barbarians. The simulated Senate and Imperial Council are transformed into the political offices of the Ostrogothic state of the time of Theoderic the Great and view the issues from a "barbarian" perspective.
  • 10. The question of contemporary migration in comparison with ancient migration. The issue of integration of foreigners into society. The simulated Imperial Council and Senate produce a communiqué commenting on the appropriateness of contemporary and ancient integration policies.
  • 11. Final discussion
Literature
    required literature
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila and Markéta MELOUNOVÁ. Římské císařství II. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, 103 s. ISBN 9788021069558. URL info
  • CLAUSS, Manfred. Konstantin Veliký : římský císař mezi pohanstvím a křesťanstvím. Translated by Vlastimil Drbal. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2005, 141 s. ISBN 8070217340. info
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila. Stěhování národů (The great migration of nations). 1st ed. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2003, 416 pp. Edice Historica. ISBN 8070215062. info
  • ČEŠKA, Josef. Zánik antického světa. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2000, 277 s. ISBN 8070213868. info
  • ČEŠKA, Josef. Římský stát a katolická církev ve IV. století. Vyd. 1. Brno: Univerzita Jana Evangelisty Purkyně v Brně, 1983, 162 s., [1. info
  • GIBBON, Edward. Úpadek a pád Římské říše : výbor. Edited by Josef Polišenský - Jiří Klabouch, Translated by Adolf Felix. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1983, 404 s. info
    recommended literature
  • JONES, A. H. M.; MARTINDALE, J. R.; MORRIS, J. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Volume I. Cambridge 1971.
  • MARTINDALE, J. R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Volume II. Cambridge 1980.
  • Constantine :dynasty, religion and power in the later Roman empire. Edited by Timothy David Barnes - Richard Boxhall. 1 online r. ISBN 9781444396249. info
  • MITCHELL, Stephen. The History of the Later Roman Empire AD 284-641. Oxford 2007.
  • STEIN, E. Geschichte des spätrömischen Reiches. Strassburg 1928.
  • VOGT, Joseph. Der Niedergang Roms: Metamorphose der antiken Kultur. Zürich: Kindler Verlag, 1965.
  • Extra fines imperii. Edited by Jaroslav Tejral, Translated by Jana Kličová. Vydání první. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2017, 446 stran. ISBN 9788021085794. info
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila. Attila : Hunové, Řím a Evropa (Attila : Huns, Rome and Europe). Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2012, 340 pp. Historica. ISBN 978-80-7429-169-2. info
  • The Cambridge companion to the Age of Constantine. Edited by Noel Emmanuel Lenski. Rev. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, xx, 471. ISBN 9781107013407. info
  • BABIC, Marek. Od antiky k stredoveku : dejiny neskorého rímskeho cisárstva medzi rokmi 284-476. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury (CDK), 2010, 331 s. ISBN 9788073252021. info
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila. Frankové a Evropa. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2009, 335 s. ISBN 9788070219423. info
  • A.H.M. Jones and the later Roman Empire. Edited by David M. Gwynn. Boston: Brill, 2008, xv, 281 p. ISBN 9004163832. info
  • DOLEŽAL, Stanislav. Interakce Gótů a římského impéria ve 3.-5. století n.l. Vyd. 1. Praha: Univerzita Karlova v Praze, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2008, 337 s. ISBN 9788024615318. info
  • REECE, Richard. The later Roman Empire : an archaeology AD 150-600. New edition. Stroud: Tempus, 2007, 192 stran. ISBN 9780752442051. info
  • GOFFART, Walter A. Barbarian tides : the migration age and the later Roman Empire. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006, x, 372. ISBN 0812239393. info
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila. Půda nebo daně? (The Land or the Taxes?). In Querite primum regnum Dei. I. Brno: Matice moravská, 2006, p. 99-105. ISBN 80-86488-35-7. info
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila, Zdeněk MĚŘÍNSKÝ and Aleš HOMOLA. Stěhování národů a východ Evropy (The great migration of people and the East of Europe). I. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2006, 525 pp. Hitorica. ISBN 80-7021-787-1. info
  • The governor and his subjects in the later Roman empire. Edited by Danièelle Slootjes. Boston: Brill, 2006, xvii, 204. ISBN 9789047409342. info
  • The Cambridge ancient history. Edited by Averil Cameron - John Bryan Ward-Perkins - Michael Whitby. Repr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005, xx, 1166. ISBN 0521325919. info
  • DROBERJAR, Eduard. Věk barbarů : české země a stěhování národů z pohledu archeologie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Paseka, 2005, 260 s. ISBN 8071856568. info
  • HERRIN, Judith. Ženy v purpuru. Translated by Vladimír Vavřínek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2005, 349 s. ISBN 8020411917. info
  • Ruling the later Roman Empire. Edited by Christopher Kelly. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2004, 341 p. ISBN 0674015649. info
  • KOCÁKOVÁ, Marcela. Církev pronásledovaná a pronásledující na přelomu antiky a středověku. Edited by Jarmila Bednaříková. 1995, 76 s. info
Teaching methods
Simulation teaching method supplemented by lectures with seminar.
Assessment methods
The final grade of the students will be summed up from two elements: the first part of the grade will evaluate their overall activity in solving problems and in lectures of invited specialists. It will take into account their performance in the final discussion and the quality of their glosses. The second part of the grade will be the result of a final interview where students will individually demonstrate their level of understanding of late antique development. For students from other fields of study, this part of the assessment will be dropped.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Information on completion of the course: Studenti Dějin starověku ukončují zkouškou. Studenti jiných oborů ukončují kolokviem.
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Note related to how often the course is taught: dvakrát týdně (přednáška, seminář); seminář je povinný pouze pro studenty Dějin starověku.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/DSBcA13