From March 25th to April 4th we will be researching the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman empire. Please keep in mind that the republic was not doomed from the beginning - it lasted nearly 500 years. Whether you think it was doomed since the time of the Gracchi -- or the time of Sulla -- is a decision you will have to make.

Just as we have been learning (and building upon already learned) skills required for writing historical arguments, so we must also consider the skills necessary for doing historical research. In particular I would like you to further develop your skill at finding the evidence necessary to answer historical questions. For this reason, rather than asking specific questions about each text, I am telling you the primary themes we will take into account when exploring this tumultuous period of Roman history. I have also posed some sub-questions that can be asked to explore the larger questions. What further questions need to be posed in order to answer these questions? At some point during the next few weeks we will have a quiz asking you to answer one of these questions with specific evidence and examples from the ancient texts.

The primary questions for the next few weeks follow. Please do not feel compelled to limit yourselves to these questions.

Why did the republic fall?
Why and how was the empire created?

Subquestions to help answer these are:
What was the role of the army in the civil wars? (Was Rome doomed because of Marius' induction of the lowest class into the army? Was the army hopelessly corrupted by the complete incorporation of Italians at the end of the Social War?)
How did urban political violence help bring about the end of the republic? (Did the overcrowding that resulted in Rome's status as the capital of an empire {and that failed to be permanently alleviated by Tiberius' land reform} help doom republican government?)
Did the failure of the Romans to alter their traditional practices to manage imperial domination result in the civil wars that ended the republic? (Was the practice of outdoing one's ancestors and one's enemies more than the republic could bear? What was the role of gloria in the civil wars? How much did the autonomy a provincial governor could experience change the way ex-governors behaved upon their return to the capital?)
What do the political reforms made by Julius Caesar during his dictatorship and by Augustus during his reign suggest about the need for political reform in the late republic?

What impact did individuals have on this period of history?

Some specific questions that might be considered include:
How problematic for Roman stability was Pompey's extraordinary career?
What compelled Julius Caesar to march his troops across the Rubicon?
How did Antony's ambitions help bring about the next phase of the civil wars?
How did the incredible skill of the young and ambitious Octavian help to create the Roman empire?

Another important question to be explored is the impact of civil war on traditional social structure. We have already read some documents from this period - like the so-called "Laudatio Turiae" that show the activities of women. Keep your eye on the sources with regard to the activities of women. Does the specific historical circumstance explain these activities?

Some helpful information and suggestions for understanding the civil wars and advent of empire.

Know these people:

Gaius Julius Caesar, cos. 59, 48, 46, 45, 44; dictator 49-44 BCE
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey), cos. 70, 55, 52 (sole consul part of 52)
Marcus Porcius Cato, praetor 54 BCE
Marcus Licinius Crassus, cos. 70, 55 BCE
Marcus Tullius Cicero, cos. 63 BCE
Publius Clodius, tr. pl. 58 BCE
Milo, praetor 55 BCE
Curio, tr. pl. 50 BCE
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, cos. 46, 42; triumvir 43-36 BCE
Marcus Antonius (Marc Antony), cos. 44, 34; triumvir 43-38; 37-33
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian, later Augustus), consul several times; triumvir 43-38; 37-33 BCE
Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt 51-30 BCE, wife of Antony
Fulvia, wife of Antony
Octavia, sister of Octavian, wife of Antony
Agrippa
Maecenas

Know these battles:

Pharsalus, 48 BCE
Philippi, 42 BCE
Actium, 31 BCE