From Alexander to Augustus: Leadership in the Ancient World

Module overview

Alexander, Sulla, Julius Caesar and Augustus are names which epitomise leadership and authority both in the ancient world and in more recent periods of history. In this module, you will look at the political systems under which they emerged as leaders, and how they transformed the worlds they lived in. Through these we will address the questions of what makes a successful leader, and how political systems might be manipulated.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

critically analyse the effectiveness of these leaders
identify and understand how these leaders changed the world in which they lived
recognize and assess different leadership styles in the ancient world

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

The political changes brought about by Augustus as the first Roman emperor
Modes of political leadership in the last century of the Roman Republic
Leadership under Alexander and his immediate successors

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

locate and effectively synthesize textual, visual and material culture sources to develop cogent arguments
research historical questions and communicate your findings in written essays
utilise and develop your time-management skills

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures Seminars Workshops Individual tutorials

Study time
Type	Hours
Workshops	12
Preparation for scheduled sessions	88
Seminar	12
Wider reading or practice	88
Completion of assessment task	88
Lecture	12
Total study time	300

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Steel, Catherine (2013). The end of the Roman Republic, 146-44BC: conquest and crisis. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Shipley, G. (2000). The Greek World after Alexander 323-30 BC.. London - New York: Routledge.

Nathan Rosenstein and Robert Morstein-Marx (eds.) (2006). A Companion to the Roman Republic. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

K. Galinsky (ed.). Cambridge Companion to the Age of Augustus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bosworth, A.B., (1988). Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Anson, E.M., (2013). Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues. London: Bloomsbury.

Carney, E. and D. Ogden, eds., (2010). Philip II and Alexander the Great. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Errington, M. (2008). A History of the Hellenistic World, 323-30 BC.. London: Blackwell Publishing.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	50%
Essay	50%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Resubmit assessments	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	50%
Essay	50%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External