The course is a continuation from what was covered in 2020-2021. After a review of the ‘reigns’ of Trajan (AD 98-117) and Hadrian (AD 117-138) as the ‘Empire’ reached its height, we will look at Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius (138 – 180); the disastrous ‘reign’ of Commodus; the Civil War of 193; the achievements of the Severan Dynasty (AD 193-235) – with its assertive, often ruthless women who, towards its end, ran the empire in the name of ‘emperors’ in their early teens; the 50-year breakdown of the mid-AD 200s when the empire broke into three; its reunification under men like Aurelian; and the ‘new order’ of Diocletian (AD 284-305). Included will be a look at the women of the imperial house and the state’s interactions with the emerging Church. Newcomers will be most welcome but should contact the tutor before the course begins.
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