最新糖心Vlog

CLAS 3027 - Pagans, Saints and Magic in Late Antiquity

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2025

This is a cultural history course that looks at issues that were at the centre of social change in Late Antiquity (3rd-6th centuries AD). The later Roman empire witnessed major cultural upheavals and political collapse; according to many contemporaries, the rise of Christianity and its attempts to be the only religion within the empire was at the centre of much of this change. Debate spilled out onto streets as civil riot, pogroms and vandalism in places such as Athens, Alexandria and Antioch. European views of religious (in)tolerance, orthodoxy, heresy and magic developed within this period, as did the notion of the 'holy man', power of the 'relic' and personal asceticism as an ideal. In particular, this course will use literary sources in translation to examine the history of pagan religions in Late Antiquity, their reactions and challenges to the rise of Christianity. We will study the rise of the cult of the martyr and of asceticism, using contemporary poetry, letters and biographies. Finally, the intertwining concepts of magic and miracles will be explored in the context of Christianity and a variety of pagan and philosophical groups, with an emphasis on the eastern Mediterranean world.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code CLAS 3027
    Course Pagans, Saints and Magic in Late Antiquity
    Coordinating Unit Historical and Classical Studies
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites At least 6 units of Level II undergraduate study including at least 3 units of Level II Classics courses
    Incompatible CLAS 2103
    Biennial Course Course offered in odd years
    Assessment Short Paper (Seminar Paper), Research essay.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Margaret O'Hea

    Dr Margaret O'Hea.
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    There will be one lecture per week for 12 weeks and one two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks, starting in week 2.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 understand the historical sequence of  the main developments in Late Antique religious history 
    2 develop a scholarly approach to the historical analysis of primary sources, both literary and documentary
    3 encourage wider readings and the application of a broader “historical” perspective to contemporary issues, such as religious tolerance and intolerance in Europe and of freedom of speech
    4 engage productively and respectfully with their peers via problem solving and the sharing of information
    5 use learning technologies relevant to the 最新糖心Vlog’s learning environment
    最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1-2

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    2, 4

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    4

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    3

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    If possible, purchase the following set of primary sources:

    Valantasis, R. (2000) Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice.  Princeton: Princeton 最新糖心Vlog Press.
    NB: Paperbacks can be ordered from Booktopia, Angus and Robertson etc, but there is currently no ebook, and availablility may be limited. Buy a second-hand copy if you can.
    A copy of this book will be placed in Reserve in the Library for short-term loans, and other primary sources will be made available online in MyUni.

    If you cannot get your hands on this, another, less comprehensive but cheaper sourcebook is
    MacMullen, R.  (1992) Paganism and Christianity 100-425 C.E.. Fortress Press. 
    Recommended Resources
    For those who want to go further, bookmark the library's ebook of:
    Cameron, A. (2010) The Last Pagans of Rome. You don't need to buy it.

    Another older, but readable optional purchase is:
    MacMullen, R. (1999) Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries. Yale: Yale 最新糖心Vlog Press

    Online Learning
    Reading lists, websites and other resources will be made available online in MyUni.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures will provide background to the seminar topics.  These two-hour  classes will rely heavily on the readings of both primary and secondary sources by students, but they will also build on the previous weeks' readings. They are intended to create both a knowledge base and establish practice in historical analysis.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    WORKLOAD                                                              TOTAL HOURS

    1 Lecture pw    (structured learning)                            12

    2-hr seminar pw   (structured learning)                        20 (10 weeks only)*

    6 research (reading and note-taking) hrs pw                72

    4.333 assignment prep hours pw                                 48                                      

                                 
    Average pw = 13 hrs*                                                Total = 156 Hours
    Learning Activities Summary
    Lecture topics may vary from published schedule, which will be provided  online in MyUni at the start of the semester. The seminar programme will be available online and in downloadable form on MyUni at the start of  semester.
  • Assessment

    The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Short paper  (ca 1000-1250 words) Formative and Summative Choose one seminar topic from first half of semester 25% 1-4
    Short paper (ca 1000-1250 words) Formative and Summative Choose one seminar topic from second half of semester 25% 1-4
    Research Essay (ca 2500 words) Formative and Summative End of semester 50% 1-4
    Assessment Detail
    Research essay: students will be required to write a ca 2500 word research essay due in Week 13 (topic to be detailed in MyUni)  
    Seminar papers: two x ca 1250 word seminar papers, one from the first half and one from the second half of the semester. See MyUni for more details.
    Submission
    All will be submitted online as attached essays in Word (doc, docx) or pdf. Details about times will be online in MyUni before the start of semester.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through .

  • Student Feedback

    The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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