This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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War and Imperialism in the Ancient World

Code: 100355 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500241 Archaeology OT 3
2500241 Archaeology OT 4
2500501 History OT 4
2503702 Ancient Studies OT 4

Contact

Name:
Isaias Arrayas Morales
Email:
isaias.arrayas@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites. It is convenient that they have already completed the Ancient History subjects in each degree.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The main aim of the subject is to analyze the phenomenon of imperialism throughout the ancient world, as well as the role of war in the creation of ancient empires.


Competences

    Archaeology
  • Contextualizing and analysing historical processes.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Managing the main methods, techniques and analytic tools in archaeology.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethic relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    History
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Identifying the main historiographical tendencies and critically analysing their development.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
    Ancient Studies
  • Apply the main methods, techniques and instruments of historical analysis.
  • Be able to express oneself orally and in writing in the specific language of history, archaeology and philology, both in one's own languages and a third language.
  • Recognise the impact of some important aspects of the ancient world in contemporary culture and society.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Understand and interpret the evolution of ancient societies in the Mediterranean – from Egyptian civilisation to the disbanding of Western imperial Rome – through analysis of the political, historical, social, economic and linguistic factors.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse processes of acculturation among the peoples of classical antiquity.
  2. Analyse the historical processes that lead to armed conflict.
  3. Analyse the key issues that help to approach the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.
  4. Analysing the historical processes that led to armed conflicts.
  5. Analysing the key issues that allow us to address the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.
  6. Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
  7. Assessing and critically solving the characteristic historiographical problems of gender history.
  8. Assessing and critically solving the historiographical problems of war studies.
  9. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  10. Carrying out oral presentations using appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  11. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  12. Critically analysing informational speeches, especially in relation to ideology and ethnocentric and sexist bias.
  13. Critically assessing and solving the specific historiographical problems of war studies.
  14. Critically assessing the models explaining the ancient times.
  15. Describe the economic, social and political structures of the classical societies.
  16. Describing the economic, social and political structures of the Middle Ages.
  17. Effectively expressing themselves and applying the argumentative and textual processes of formal and scientific texts.
  18. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  19. Explain the main historical events in Ancient Egypt and the Greco-Roman world.
  20. Explain the main historiographic debates on antiquity.
  21. Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  22. Identifying the characteristic methods of Archaeology and its relationship with the historical analysis.
  23. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  24. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  25. Identifying the specific methods of History and its relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  26. Identifying the specific methods of history and their relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  27. Integrate the study of ancient Catalonia into general historical discourse and point out its singularities.
  28. Interpreting and analysing documentary sources.
  29. Interpreting historical texts in relation to archaeological contexts.
  30. Interpreting material sources and the archaeological record.
  31. Knowing the main historiographical debates concerning the Middle Ages.
  32. Mastering and identifying the history of immediate environment.
  33. Mastering the Universal Ancient History.
  34. Mastering the diachronic structure of the past.
  35. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  36. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  37. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  38. Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
  39. Reading historical texts written in several formats.
  40. Recognising the importance of controlling the quality of the work's results and its presentation.
  41. Relate the historical texts to their archaeological contexts.
  42. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  43. Show expertise in the reading of historical texts written on various media.
  44. Solving problems autonomously.
  45. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  46. Transmitting the results of archaeological research and clearly communicating conclusions in oral and written form to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  47. Using computing resources of the area of study of history.
  48. Using research sources characteristic of the study of Catalonia's History.
  49. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  50. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  51. Using the specific interpretational and technical vocabulary of the discipline.

Content

1.- Introduction: War and Imperialism in the Ancient World.

2.- War and Imperialism in the Ancient Near East: Mesopotamia and Egypt (3rd-1st millennium).

3.- War and Imperialism in the Greek World: Homeric Warfare, Hoplite Warfare, the Macedonian Phalanx.

4.- War and Imperialism in the Roman World: from Monarchical Rome to Late Antiquity.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes and seminars 41 1.64 12, 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 14, 8, 7, 15, 34, 33, 43, 19, 23, 22, 25, 28, 29, 36, 42, 41, 39, 38, 51
Type: Supervised      
Classroom practices 13 0.52 12, 1, 2, 6, 14, 8, 13, 7, 9, 11, 31, 15, 34, 43, 37, 17, 10, 49, 21, 24, 28, 30, 29, 36, 18, 45, 40, 42, 41, 39, 46, 38, 51, 50
Tutorials 10 0.4 6, 13, 9, 43, 37, 17, 49, 21, 28, 30, 36, 45, 40, 42, 41, 39, 38, 51
Type: Autonomous      
Study of course materials and bibliography reading 69 2.76 12, 2, 4, 3, 6, 44, 14, 8, 13, 7, 9, 11, 31, 16, 35, 43, 37, 20, 17, 49, 21, 28, 30, 29, 36, 18, 45, 40, 42, 41, 39, 46, 38, 51, 50

The teaching methodology will consist of the combination of lectures, presentation of reviews and papers, reading of specialized bibliography, classroom practices and resolution of exercises.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Continuous Assessment 60% 14 0.56 12, 1, 5, 2, 4, 3, 6, 44, 8, 13, 7, 9, 11, 31, 16, 15, 35, 32, 34, 33, 43, 37, 20, 19, 17, 10, 49, 23, 22, 26, 25, 21, 24, 27, 28, 30, 29, 36, 18, 45, 40, 42, 41, 46, 38, 51, 47, 50, 48
Exam 40% 3 0.12 12, 1, 5, 4, 2, 3, 6, 14, 8, 13, 7, 9, 11, 31, 15, 34, 43, 37, 20, 17, 49, 23, 22, 25, 21, 28, 30, 29, 42, 41, 39, 46, 38, 51

The mark will be based on three activities:

Activity 1: Search of 20 academic papers on war and imperialism in the ancient world (30%).

Activity 2: Essay based on the critical reading of an article proposed in class (30%).

Activity 3: Exam (40%)

Final qualification will be obtained from the addition of the percentages from the three activities. It will be necessary to obtain a minimum qualification of 4 in the two first activities for them to be considered in the final
qualification. For having the opportunity of being reevaluated, the students must deliver the three activities.

At the time of completion/delivery of each assessment activity, the teacher will inform (Moodle, SIA) of the procedure and date of revision of the grades.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

In the written activities, spelling, syntactic or lexical errors are taken into account. The penalty can be between 0.1-0.2 points on the final grade for each mistake made. Repeated errors can discount.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB's virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

In the case of students taking the Single Assessment, theassessment will be based on the following items:

Activity 1: Bibliographic search of 20 scientific articles on war and imperialism in the ancient world (30%).

Activity 2: Essay based on the critical reading of an article proposed in class (30%).

Activity 3: Exam (40%).

The same Not assessed/Not submitted criterion will be applied as for the Continuous Assessment.

With regard to the reassessment and regulations for irregularities, the same will apply as established by the Continuous Assessment.


Bibliography

Abrahami, Ph. / Battini, L. (eds.), 2008: Les armées du Proche-Orient ancien (IIIe-Ier mil. Av. J.C.). Oxford.

Arrayás, I., 2024: Estudios sobre la integración de los territorios anatólicos en el Imperio romano: violencia, diplomacia y control social en tiempos tardohelenísticos. Zaragoza.

Arrayás, I., 2022: Reflexiones sobre la reorganización romana de Oriente y de Occidente tras los conflictos mitridático y sertoriano. La acción pompeyana en Anatolia, Siria e Hispania. Madrid.

Beard, M., 2012: El triunfo romano. Madrid.

Cadiou, Fr., 2018: L'armée imaginaire. París.

De Souza, Ph. (ed.), 2009: La guerra en el mundo antiguo. Madrid.

Everson, T., 2004: Warfare in Ancient Greece. Trupp.

Fuller, J.F.C., 2012: Las batallas decisivas del mundo antiguo. Barcelona.

Goldsworthy, A., 2012: En el nombre de Roma. Madrid.

Goldsworthy, A., 2011: César. Madrid.

Goldsworthy, A., La caída de Cartago. Las guerras púnicas. Barcelona.

Hanson, V.D., 1989: The Western Way of War. Nueva York.

Hanson, V.D., 2004: Matanza y cultura. Batallas decisivas en el auge de la civilización occidental. México.

Hanson, V.D. (ed.), 2012: El Arte de la Guerra en el Mundo Antiguo. De las guerras persas a la caída de Roma. Barcelona.

Heckel, W., 2010: Las conquistas de Alejandro Magno. Barcelona.

Kagan, D. / Viggiano, G. (eds.), 2017: Hombres de Bronce. Hoplitas en la Antigua Grecia.

Le Bohec, Y., 1989: L'armée romaine sous le Haut-Empire. París.

Le Bohec, Y., 2001: César, chef de guerre: César stratège et tacticien. París.

Le Bohec, 2021: Histoire des guerres romaines: Milieu du VIIIe siècle av. J.-C - 410 ap J.-C. París.

Lendon, J.E., 2011: Soldados y fantasmas. Barcelona.

Nadali, D. / Vidal, J., 2014: The Other Face of the Battle. The impact of war on civilians in the Ancient Near East. Münster.

Parker, G. (ed.), 2010: Historia de la guerra. Madrid.

Quesada, F., 2014: Armas de Grecia y Roma. Madrid.

Sabin, P.A.G et alii (eds.), 2007. The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare (2 vols.). Cambridge.

Van Wees, H., 2005: Greek Warfare: Myths and Realities. Londres.

Vidal, J. (ed.), 2010: Studies on War in the Ancient Near East. Münster.

Vidal, J. / Antela, B. (eds.), 2011: La guerra en la Antigüedad desde el presente. Zaragoza.


Software

None specifically.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed