- The Library -

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

I got Empires and Barbarians by Peter Heather yesterday!!! I was at the books a million and saw it up here in Maryland (they have literally NOTHING where I live on ancient rome) so I bought it. 34.95 and I will tell you how it was.

[Dragases]

Yes, the Cambridge books are very good, if expensive. I bought the two volume 'Greek and Roman warfare' series and even though I saved £150, it still cost me £130 for the two books!

I'd recommend Jones over Bury everytime, Jones is the most quoted scholarly work that uses much more upto date research than Bury. It's not a history of the Late Roman Empire by the way, just examines aspects of it such as the economics, army size etc.

Of course Jones uses "much more up to date research" than Bury Jones wrote his "Later Roman Empire" in 1964, Bury in 1928 (and Bury's original LRE goes back to the 1880s!).

Both are very outdated, yet very useful all the same. Bury still remains the most complete and "latest" _English_ narrative on the LRE that covers all events between 395-565. However, if you can read French I would recommend Ernst Stein's "Histoire du Bas Empire", which was released halfway the 20th century. He matches Bury in detail and analysis, but is far less biassed.

Jones is also outdated but still remains the most vast "encyclopedia" in English on all internal structures of the LRE.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Note to self, check Library for AMH Jones.

[juvenus]

@Dragases: it's good to see u around

[Dragases]

@Dragases: it's good to see u around

Cheers mate! Was stupidly busy the past few months. Just moved to Melbourne where I'll be teaching at the University this term

[juvenus]

Cheers mate! Was stupidly busy the past few months. Just moved to Melbourne where I'll be teaching at the University this term

way to go man! a true scholar on the TWC

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Nice!!! Good luck teaching.

[julianus heraclius]

Cheers mate! Was stupidly busy the past few months. Just moved to Melbourne where I'll be teaching at the University this term

Ah, good to see another TWC here in my hometown of Melbourne. And what may I ask will you be teaching at Melbourne University?

[Dragases]

@Everybody above: Cheers!

Ah, good to see another TWC here in my hometown of Melbourne. And what may I ask will you be teaching at Melbourne University?

A bit of everything:

1) Tutoring the undergrad course Imperial Roman History.
2) Lecturing the final four classes about the Later Roman Empire for that course.
3) Running 8 postgrad seminars about the demise of the Western Roman Empire (395-480).

[julianus heraclius]

1) Tutoring the undergrad course Imperial Roman History.
2) Lecturing the final four classes about the Later Roman Empire for that course.
3) Running 8 postgrad seminars about the demise of the Western Roman Empire (395-480).

Are the post-grad seminars open to the public, I would love to attend.

[Dragases]

Are the post-grad seminars open to the public, I would love to attend.

I actually have no idea. I'll ask tomorrow, though I don't think that should be a problem
I'll give you the basic info, with a list of the topics plus provisional dates:

ROMANS AND BARBARIANS: THE DEMISE OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE

Between AD 395 and 480, Western Europe witnessed its most cataclysmic geopolitical revolution up
to date. An empire that encompassed the entire continent west of the Rhine, south of the Danube
and east of the Balkans was replaced by a dozen barbarian kingdoms in less than a century. The
great mysteries that shroud this event urged Edward Gibbon to write the first major scientific
work of Roman history. Two hundred years after his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” both
scholars and laymen are still vexed by what exactly caused this pandemonium. This post grad
seminar will focus on a series of key texts and figures in all regions from this era. (In)famous
characters from Alaric, to Attila the Hun and even “King Arthur” will bring us on a sweeping tour
through the Balkans, Italy, France, Spain, Africa, and Britain. The prime focus will be on the
interaction between Romans and Barbarians, both in the highest echelons of power as the everyday
life of common people.

23/08 Seminar 1: “Apocalypse, Transformation or Much Ado About Nothing?”
- The modern scientific debate concerning the demise of the Roman Empire.

30/08 Seminar 2: “The Emperor is dead”
- The death of emperor Theodosius I and the final parting of the Western and Eastern Empire (Milan, 395).

06/09 Seminar 3: “The Disaster nobody wanted.”
- Alaric’s forging of the Visigothic nation and the sack of Rome (Greece and Italy, 410).

13/09 Seminar 4: “One Man against the rest of the World.”
- The revolt of count Boniface and the Vandal invasion (North Africa, 427-431).

04/10 Seminar 5: “A Battle that changed History.”
- Attila the Hun’s raids and the battle on the Catalaunian Plains (The Balkans and Gaul, 440-451)

11/10 Seminar 6: “Waiting for the Apocalypse”
- The chronicle of Hydatius: A unique on-the-ground-view on Roman-Barbarian relations (Spain, 456-468).

18/10 Seminar 7: “End of an Empire”
- Odoacer’s rule and the end of Emperorship in the West (Italy and Dalmatia, 476-480).

25/10 Seminar 8: “The Dark Ages are coming”
- Gildas’ account on Britain and “King Arthur”.

[Constantius]

Sounds great, a little far for me to travel to though

[Joar]

For me too, I'm afraid.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Any chance of accessing the seminar notes online at all?

[juvenus]

Any chance of accessing the seminar notes online at all?

good question

[Joar]

Podcasts?

[Dragases]

The seminars will be open to everyone!

They'll take place between 12 and 2, so people can have lunch in between. As soon as I've got a room confirmed I'll give the details here

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of podcast since I don't quite like the sound of my own voice... However, I can inform you that the seminars will be converted in a monograph to be published next year. It's for a Flemish publisher since no Dutch writing author has ever tackled the "Fall of the Roman Empire" before. If the monograph does well enough, I might be able to come up with an English edition in a few years however... *crosses fingers*

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Damn, think I will have to learn Flemish!!

[Joar]

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of podcast since I don't quite like the sound of my own voice...

Well, that's not a problem. Here's how we do it: you'll record it, and we'll listen to it...

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

D'ooooohhhhh... It's too far for me and I can't speak Flemish, just english and crummydead languages...