AEM_03e The Roman Era and The Great Migration Period in Europe

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. Mgr. Jiří Macháček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Balázs Komoróczy, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Mgr. Jiří Macháček, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Absolvování kurzu AEB_A14e The Roman Era and the Great Migrations in Central Europe výhodou.
Předmět je součástí bloku teoretických přednášek k pravěkým a historickým dějinám Evropy a je určen zájemcům o problematiku.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course makes students familiar with archaeological image and history of the European territory from the end of the pre-Roman Period to the end of the Migration Period on the basis of archaeological and written sources. The course builds on the knowledge gained during the bachelor study, which extends herewith significantly from both factual and methodological perspective.
Learning outcomes
After completion of the course, student will be able to:
- be knowledgeable about archaeological sources of the Roman Period and Migration Period within the European context
- identify and summarize the main features of historical processes in the relevant epoch, including factual knowledge of specific events and their participants
- define and describe the most important thematic areas of research on the Roman Period and Migration Period within the European context
- creatively evaluate individual archaeological sources
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction, subject definition, periodisation and basic literature. Critical outline of written sources for the Roman Period and Migration Period
  • 2. Expansion, establishment and development of the Roman state from the late Republic until the demise of the Roman provinces. Roman border area as a defensive and contact zone.
  • 3. Roman provinces and Roman-provincial culture in the European part of the Empire.
  • 4. Cultures and cultural processes in transition era between the Iron Age and Roman Period. The last Celts, the first Germans, geopolitical and cultural conditions of the Early Roman Period.
  • 5. Roman-barbarian contacts and conflicts.
  • 6. Transformations of the barbarian world from the Marcomannic Wars to the Late Antiquity. The new tribal confederations of Franks and Alemanni, the transformation of cultural image of East Germanic territories.
  • 7. The world of living and dead in the barbarian Europe of the Roman Period (settlement conditions, graves, hoards and deposits, crafts and trade).
  • 8. The disintegration of bipolar Europe at the end of Roman Period and demise of the Roman provinces. The fall of Roman limes and Dacia, invasions of Goths, and barbarians in Roman services.
  • 9. Archaeological and historical image of Huns, Vandals and Goths.
  • 10. Archaeological and historical image of Suebi, Franks, Alemanni and Burgundians.
  • 11. Northern peoples and the origins of their expansion.
  • 12. Archaeological and historical image of Langobards from the Middle Danube region to North Italy.
Literature
    required literature
  • BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, Jarmila. Stěhování národů (The great migration of peoples). 1st ed. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2003, 416 pp. Edice Historica. ISBN 978-80-7021-705-4. info
  • HEATHER, P. J. Gótové. Translated by Lubomír Košnar - Jiří Ohlídal - Petr Prokeš. Praha: Lidové noviny, 2002, 408 s. ISBN 8071061999. info
  • SAKAŘ, Vladimír and Jan BOUZEK. Římské provincie a limes Romanus ve střední a západní Evropě. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1990, 149 s. ISBN 80-7066-161-5. info
    recommended literature
  • BISHOP, M. C. Handbook to Roman legionary fortresses. First published. Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2012, xii, 209. ISBN 9781848841383. info
  • Attila und die Hunnen. Stuttgart: Konrad Theiss Verlag, 2007, 392 s. ISBN 9783806221145. info
  • Die Langobarden : Herrschaft und Identität. Edited by Walter Pohl - Peter Erhart. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2005, 648 s. ISBN 3700134002. info
  • Die Römer zwischen Alpen und Nordmeer. Edited by Ludwig Wamser - Christof Flügel - Bernward Ziegaus. Düsseldorf: Albatros, 2004, xiii, 464. ISBN 3491961084. info
  • BREEZE, David John. Roman forts in Britain. 2nd ed. Princes Risborough: Shire, 2002, 72 s. ISBN 0747805334. info
  • FISCHER, Thomas. Die römischen Provinzen. Eine Einführung in ihre Archäologie. Stuttgart, 2001. info
  • DÖBLER, Hannsferdinand. Die Germanen :Legende und Wirklichkeit von A-Z : Lexikon zur europäischen Frühgeschichte. München: Orbis-Verlag, 2000, 320 s. ISBN 3-572-01157-4. info
  • MENGHIN, Wilfried. Die Langobarden : Geschichte und Archäologie. Stuttgart: Konrad Theiss Verlag, 2000, 236 s. ISBN 3926642238. info
  • GODŁOWSKI, Kazimierz. Die Chronologie der jűngeren und späten Kaiserzeit in den Gebieten südlich der Sudeten und Karpaten. In Probleme der relativen und absoluten Chronologie ab Latenzei bis zum Fruhmittelalter. Materialen des III. Internationalen Symposiums: Grundprobleme der fruhgeschichtlichen Entwicklung im nordlichen Mitteldonaugebiet. Krakow, 1992, p. 23-54, 31 pp. ISBN 83-85483-30-6. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
Requirements for the exam: good knowledge of the problem, general facts and selected questions based on lectures and study literature.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Information on completion of the course: Informace ke způsobu ukončení viz sylabus
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AEM_03e