History. See the future. It’s in the past.

North Africa was one of Rome’s richest provinces, and today, some of the most impressive Roman ruins are to be found not in Italy, but in North Africa. Our armchair travels will range from the city of Volubilis and other sites in Morocco, through to Algeria, where we will be examining Timgad, Lambaesis, Djemila, Tipasa and St Augustine’s town of Hippo Regius, to Tunisia, with it's Roman towns such as Dougga, Sufetula (Sbeitla) and Thyrsdus (El Djem). In Libya, we will concentrate on the monumental city of Leptis Magna, one of the world’s best preserved Roman sites, and Cyrene, beautifully sited and remarkable for its spectacular Greek architecture. We will visit the frontier and the ruins of Germa, a remote town on the edge of the vast Sahara.

Join us, as we examine the social, political and economic life of Roman North Africa and explore its monumental cities, remote villas, quarries and farms.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• identify the geographical extent of Roman rule in North Africa and use conventional historical periodisation
• show a familiarity with the various ethnic groups encountered by the Romans in North Africa
• outline the key features of Roman provincial and municipal government
• identify the features of key Roman civic buildings and identify specifically North African building practices
• identify the key stylistic features of North African mosaics
• describe and employ the Latin vocabulary of social relations and patronage
• evaluate the contribution made