Growing Up and Getting Old in Ancient Rome



Overview

Explore how Romans experienced each stage of life, from childhood to old age, and how age shaped behaviour, identity and society across the rise and fall of Rome.

Growing up in ancient Rome involved a period of childhood that transitioned quickly to early adulthood, characterized by apprenticeship and familial roles, with children seen as undeveloped adults. While the ideal lifespan was high, the average adult lived to about 40, and getting old was a challenging experience. However, in ancient Rome, it reserved them a sort of reverential honour and respect.

This course will highlight the role of age in determining behaviour, and expectations of behaviour, across the life span of an inhabitant of ancient Rome, from its very origin as a small village in central Italy to the high of the Empire and its final decline.

Drawing on a multi-disciplinary approach based on material culture, ancient authors and scientific bio-molecular investigations, you will learn about infancy, childhood, the transition to adulthood, maturity, and old age in pre-Roman Italy and the Roman world. You will learn about marriages and inheritance law, how infants and children were reared and raised; how they were educated and how elderly were perceived and cared for.

You will explore how the individual and society were involved in, and reacted to, the different life stages, in terms of gender, wealth and status, and personal choice and empowerment. We will also explore how individual choices affected the development of society and how society, in turn, affected individual lives.

This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.

Programme details

Seminars

Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 10 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor. 

Sunday

Seminar 1: Introduction to the Archaeology of Rome within the Classical World: Setting the Scene.

This seminar will briefly introduce the history and development of the Mediterranean and the place of Rome in this development.

Seminar 2: Infancy in Pre Roman Italy and the Roman Empire.

Combining literary sources, material culture and bioanthropological data, we will understand the perception of infancy in ancient Rome and analyse demographic patterns and breastfeeding practices through time.

Monday

Seminar 3: Childhood in Pre-Roman Italy and the Roman Empire.

Combining literary sources, material culture and bioanthropological data, we will understand the perception of infancy and childhood in ancient Rome. We will explore children’s lives in ancient Rome by analysing demographic patterns through time and by exploring aspects such as play and games.

Seminar 4

We will visit the Ashmolean Museum and discuss the different life stages and the life-course, taking inspiration from finds and artefacts at the Museum.

Tuesday

Seminar 5: Adolescence and Education in Pre-Roman Italy and the Roman Empire.

Combining literary sources, material culture and bioanthropological data, we will understand the perception of adolescence in ancient Rome. We will analyse demographic patterns through time and explore rites of passages and education practices in ancient Rome with a particular focus on gender issues.

Seminar 6: Adulthood

We will explore when individuals were considered adults, and by analysing funerary evidence we will explore gender issues with a particular attention to non-binary representations of individuals' identities through time.

Wednesday

Seminar 7: Marriages, Fatherhood and Motherhood

We will explore practical, legal and religious principles of Pre-Roman and Roman society, and how the role of fathers and mothers was represented or significantly hidden in literary sources and material culture through time. 

Seminar 8

We will make a trip to the Wiltshire Museum and discuss important Bronze Age burials of two possible 'old' wise men, a Shaman and a Chief.

Thursday

Seminar 9: Mature and Old Age

We will explore the representation of elderly people in literary sources and material culture and their role in society. 

Seminar 10: Care in Ancient Rome and Beyond

We often think that the care of the elderly and people in need is a modern concept of welfare states. However, we have several indications from material culture and literary sources that communities and neighbourhoods cared and looked after their weaker and less able members. 

Friday

Seminar 11: Presentations from students

Seminar 12

In this last section we will explore the role of ancestors in Pre-Roman and Roman society through the analysis of both material culture and ancient sources.

Programme timetable

The daily timetable will normally be as follows:

Saturday

14.00–16.30 - Registration

16.30–17.00 - Orientation meeting

17.00–17.30 - Classroom orientation for tutor and students

17.30–18.00 - Drinks reception

18.00–20.00 - Welcome dinner

Sunday – Friday

09.00–10.30 - Seminar

10.30–11.00 - Tea/coffee break

11.00–12.30 - Seminar

12.30–13.30 - Lunch

13.30–18.00 - Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.

18.00–19.00 - Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme).

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a quiz night, visit to historic pubs in Oxford, visit to Christ Church for Evensong and after-dinner talks and discussions.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

All participants who complete the course will receive a physical Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Academic credit

OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4.

CATS points will be awarded to students who attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment to the required standard. Please see the 'assessment methods' section below for more details.

Certificate of Higher Education

Credit (CATS points) earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education. This part-time, award-bearing course lets you decide what, how and where you study by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, in-person weekly classes and OUSSA.

For full details, including transfering credit gained from OUSSA to the programme, see our Certificate of Higher Education programme page.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee Option 1 (Single en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) £2295.00
Fee Option 2 (Double en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) 1 person £2400.00
Fee Option 3 (Twin en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) per person £1940.00
Fee Option 4 (No Accommodation - inc. Tuition, Lunch & Dinner) £1465.00

Funding

Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify. 

The concessionary fee is for non-residential attendance only; participants will then be responsible for finding their own accommodation. See full details including eligibility.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
  • If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Francesca Fulminante - Tutor

After a PhD from Cambridge University and post-doctoral positions at Universities and Institutes across Europe, Francesca Fulminante is now Senior Researcher and Lecturer both in the UK (University of Bristol and Cambridge and Oxford University, Continuing Education) and Italy (University Roma Tre). She has recently obtained prestigious funding such as Max Weber Kollegium, Erfurt (2020-21) and Hanse-Wissenschaft Kollegium, Delmenhorst (2022-23) Fellowships and a Small British Academy/Leverhulme trust Grant (2024-25). Her research investigates through interdisciplinary approaches Mediterranean urbanization during the first Millennium BCE with a focus on central Italy and interest in varied topics ranging from settlement distribution and social hierarchy to transportation systems networks to religion and also gender and infancy studies.

Course aims

This course aims to:

  • Introduce the study of life-course in ancient Roman civilization since the origin of Rome as a small village to being the head of an Empire and its subsequent collapse.
  • Provide a general overview of perceptions and representation of different life stages including infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age within Roman civilization from the Etruscan origin of Rome, its emergence in Italy, the conquest of the Mediterranean and most of continental Europe and the collapse of the empire.
  • Understand the day-to-day life of people of different ages in Pre-Roman Italy and the Roman Empire by closely examining themes such as burial, religion, household and gender.
  • Discuss and understand the ecological and environmental factors and the socio-political contingencies that underpin observable trends in demography patterns
  • Show how we can understand the ancient world practices through their manifestation in the archaeological record (material culture remains)

Teaching methods

The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Student presentations
  • Field trip

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will have been given the opportunity to:

  • Demonstrate the ability to analyse material culture and associate it with major ideas and principles of the ancient Roman society with reference to the life-course;
  • Show, through written work, how archaeological material is used to suggest interpretations about the life-course in the ancient past;
  • Develop, through written work, how and why the classical world has contributed to ideas, perceptions, and aesthetics of the life-course in the modern (western) world;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of change over time, the characteristics and development of aesthetic, chronological, socio-political phases, and daily practices of the ancient world and how these affected the individual life-course.

Assessment methods

Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.

You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment.

Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.

Please see the 'certification' section for more details about CATS points

Application

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation (including ground/lower floor accommodation) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. 

Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)

Those who have specific requirements (eg an accessible bedroom) should contact the Programme Administrator directly at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or OUSSA, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you.

Residential option

This includes accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). 

View full details of Rewley House accommodation.

Non-residential option

We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have meals (lunch and dinner) at Rewley House, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support