Lesson Plan: Week 1: The fall of Rome & the rise of successor states Date: 31.01.

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Length of Session: 50 minutes

Supporting Power-point.
Materials /
Handouts
Room Equipment / Sam Alex A213: projector, whiteboard. Tables arranged in rows.
Arrangement

Timing Subject/Heading Activity/Notes PP slides

12:00-12:05 Introduction and House- - Introduce self 1-2 (title page
keeping - Contact details & office hours with an image,
(5 minutes - Any questions on then one after
used) assessment? (explain what that with
they are, deadlines) details)
- Explain what they’re used for:
feedback (summative and
formative)
12:05-12:10 Ice-breaker - Show of hands how many 3 (everyone’s
have done medieval stuff favourite bit)
(10 minutes before
used) - Go around the room and ask
name, where they’re from,
and what attracted them to
the course
12:10-12:20 The fall of Rome: - Put up the painting of the 4
general themes sack of Rome
(20 minutes - What does it tell us about the
used) way Rome’s fall has been
perceived?
- Split into groups, 5 mins
discussion, 5 minutes class
discussion
12:20-12:25 Basics of source analysis - Seminars about teaching us 5
to analyse sources
(25 minutes - What are the most important
used, nearly things to consider here?
done) - Open forum.
12:25-12:50 Application of source - Apply this to Sidonius. Direct 6
analysis them to highlighted thing first
(50 minutes (5 minutes)
used – sigh - Stay in groups: 10 minutes to
of relief) read the source, chat and
make some notes on it
- 10 minutes at the end to list

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 the top 2 or 3 things about
the source which are relevant
to the week’s themes and to
the basics we discussed.

Issues to cover

Slide 4: Fall of Rome.

- How Rome falls. - What is depicted here? (sack of rome) Do we think it’s part of a single
event or a process? (could be both) What’s the cause of the fall based on this? (barbarians)
To bring in Halsall, is it the movers or shakers? (movers, could be shakers)

- What survives of Rome? – Where are the Romans in this picture? (seemingly nowhere)
Where is Rome as in the infrastructure and culture? What’s happening to it? Do you think
it’s accurate?

- Who experiences the fall? – How is Rome presented in this picture as a society? The grand
buildings, and the statue and stuff? Is that an impression of the lives of ordinary Romans?
Again, how accurate is it? Does ‘elite’ Rome experience the fall/survive it?

- Identities – How is Rome and those outside it portrayed here? (civility/barbarism), how
accurate is it do you think? How tied to Rome do you think Roman identity is here? Is that
how it actually was?

Slide 5: basics of source analysis

- Who is the author? And who is it aimed at?

- What is the source? (content and format)

- When is it from? (and what’s the historical context – hingsight too)

- Why was it created? (purpose)

Slide 6: Application of source analysis:

- How Rome falls. – What, why, and when? Personal letter, very desperate in tone,
emphasises military prowess of Ecdicius (and thus the dire state he’s in militarily), straight
up says he wants him to come back for this purpose, is around 476 when Euric is besieging
Clermont with the Visigoths.

What do you think the letter suggests about the causes of Rome’s fall? Is Rome itself even
falling? Do you think its representative of the bigger picture of the causes of Rome’s decline?

- What survives of Rome? – Who and what? Sidonius’ Gallo-Roman identity, strong
references in it to classical learning and elite roman pursuits – Roman culture, and in
particular elite culture, which he presents as threatened to try and lure back Ecdicius.
Cultural collapse implies governmental collapse as well. Also strong military element to this
elite culture. Ecdicius is a magister militum, who raised his own forces to fight the Visigoths

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 but is recalled by the emperor to Italy around 476, and Sidonius appeals to his sense of
military glory. Also presents ordinary people at risk as well. Interesting reference to a King
there at the end.

Does Sidonius present roman life and society as being under threat here? If so, how? Is that
representative of the reality of the way successor states were run?

- Who experiences the fall? – Who again. Repeatedly mentions the poor/ordinary. Also
references repeatedly to his upbringing though, which is suggestive of an elite culture.

What do you think the letter says about Sidonius’ background? Which parts of society do
you think he speaks for here? Do the poor have any agency in his letter?

- Identities – Who? Mentions barbaric celt dialect. Education, repeated emphasis on

land/people/patriotism. Loaded terms like barbarian thrown around a fair bit.

How do you think Sidonius sees himself? As a roman or Barbarian? What does barbarian
mean in this context? His comments on his homeland are interesting, what do you think it
means for his personal identity? What does it mean for the idea of Roman identity in this
period?

Reflections:

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