Roman mobilities and their afterlives

The programme offers an advanced undergraduate and postgraduate seminar on ancient Roman culture through the lens of “mobility”.

The developments of Roman culture as it moved across Europe demand multidisciplinary reflection on research questions relating to identity, the relationship between contemporary culture and local histories, and the different approaches to the past demanded by varied source materials.

The added dimension for 2026 responds to the context of the Southern France, and more specifically Provence: the 2026 edition will focus on the interactions between Rome and Gaul (Gallia Narbonensis), in their cultural and artistic dimensions (architecture, shows, manuscripts).

Central to this programme is the investigation of Roman Civilisation through its encounters with other cultures and of the interaction between the centre of empire and its extremities. The investigation emphasises the ambivalent processes of cultural appropriation, exchange, and dominance in the self-definition of communities under Roman rule as Rome confronted a wide range of cultures: Greeks, other ancient Mediterranean and Black Sea communities, including those in North Africa, Spain, Gaul, Briton, as well as diasporic Jews. 

The online seminars explore mobility through case studies: the portability of religious rites; the dynamics of change in ancient religion, including the imperial cult; the role of translation in the transmission of philosophical and scientific ideas; the transmission of culture through language; the cultural transference of literary, rhetorical, and artistic motifs; the performative power of the moving body; the ethical dimension of travel; the status of citizens subject to relegation and exile; military mobility; mobility and monuments.

This BIP will place a new focus on issues of cultural heritage, its preservation, restoration, and management. These will be of special relevance to the mobility element in Provence, region which is particularly rich in Roman vestiges.

At the heart of this programme is the desire to provide a space for critical thinking to an array of students from different countries and backgrounds and to generate an ongoing debate about the timeliness of studying ancient cultural discourses in the present moment.

By focusing on the extremely mobile nature of ancient Rome in terms of space and time, we will question traditional claims about the legacy of Roman imperialism in the creation of European values and propose more innovative methods for exploring this dialectic from a broad interdisciplinary perspective, always counting on the added value of our Alliance’s goals regarding issues of multiculturalism and civic approach.

Main topics addressed

• Latin Language and Literature; 
• Roman History and archeology; 
• Culture and religion of ancient Rome (including the imperial cult);
• Transmission of Philosophical and scientific ideas; 
• Cultural transference of literary, rhetorical, and artistic motifs; 
• Military mobility; 
• Mobility and monuments. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

• demonstrate in-depth knowledge on ancient Roman culture and society from synchronic and diachronic perspectives;
• apply multi-disciplinary concepts in the Humanities to draw conclusions on the cultural idea of "mobility";
• critically discuss aspects of identity and cultural status in ancient Rome and the provinces;
• identify the value of case studies in approaching broader topics;
• incorporate first-hand exploration of visual and material culture;
• draw critical parallels between ancient and modern cultures;
• develop collaborative research with peers from other nationalities and fields of study;
• compose an outreach project about the topic to be addressed to non-academic audiences;
• communicate orally to refine individual and group conclusions relating to the topics of the course.