This free course, The Roman Empire: Introducing some key terms, will define basic concepts and terms that are essential for an understanding of the culture and identity of the Roman Empire. Terms such as 'Roman Empire' and 'imperium' will be introduced in the context of the formation and expansion of the empire, and the course will provide you with the background for further study of the Roman Empire.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
understand the terminology associated with the culture, identity and power relevant to the Roman Empire, as treated both in ancient sources and modern scholarship and presentation.
I enjoyed this short colurse. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to view the video at the start of the course and the essay was a reminder to me of how difficult academic language at Level 3 can be. Interestingly, I am reading Mary Beard's SPQR at the moment so coming at the subject (the Roman Empire) from 2 perspectives is rewarding, especially where the course was able to 'fill' some gaps that SPQR left unanswered about administration during the era Roman Republic.
So yes, if the Roman Empire interests you (and I presume it does, otherwise you would not be reading this!) then I am sure, like me you will find this course rewarding. Just be prepared for some heavy academic essay writing.