Republic and Empire: the Politics and Poetry of Rome

Image: Portrait of Virgil Carole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA)

Booking will close on Friday 23rd May 2025 at 12 noon.

Due to limited resources, we are UNABLE TO ACCEPT LATE BOOKINGS after this date.

This five-week course will cover the following topics:

1. The Senate and People of Rome and the Mediterranean world: 509-44 BCE.

2. Imperial government 33 BCE to 476 CE in the West, and to 1453 CE in the East, the Christian empire.

3. Poetry: Lucretius on science and nature, Virgil on history, Catullus and Ovid on love and myth.

4. Philosophy: Cicero on morals and politics; Roman Stoicism; Roman law and `'the law of nature’; Marcus Aurelius ‘Meditations’.

5. Legacy: Republicanism and the French Revolution.

Tutor: Antony Black

Antony Black is Emeritus Professor of the History of Political Thought at the University of Dundee. His published works include a world history of ancient political thought, from prehistory to c.300 CE, a complete history of Islamic political thought, and a comparative study of political thought in the West and in the Muslim-ruled world from the origins to the present, a history and theory of community and recently explored climate change in the context of world history and the challenge it presents today. He is currently working on a global history of political thought up to the present.

Enquiries should be sent to: lifelonglearningdundee@gmail.com

As a volunteer organisation with limited resources, we try to respond to queries as quickly as possible. Please bear with us.

Course Code: 08 313