HIST 301 Roman Republic

	HIST 301 Roman Republic Syllabus	return to courses page
	DESCRIPTION Roman history from the monarchy to the fall of the republic; special emphasis on political, cultural, and social history. REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION Regular participation based on careful reading of assigned material. 15% Quizzes 15% 500-word Essay 10% 1500-1800-word Essay 22% Thesis and Topic Sentences + 5% Midterm Exam, Sept. 27 10% Final Exam, 23% NOTES: The professor uses a +/- grading system. Come to class prepared with the ancient texts in hand. Attendance is mandatory each time a written assignment is due in class. Links to assignment instructions are available through the syllabus webpage. EXPECTATIONS Come to class regularly and on time. Do the work on time. No late work will be accepted and no make-up quizzes will be given. Behave like considerate, mature, and ethical adults who want to learn about Roman history. If necessary, further advice is available online. TEXTS Appian, The Civil Wars, John Carter (trans.) Penguin, 1996. Boatwright, Mary T. et al., The Romans: From Village to Empire, Oxford University Press 2004. Marcus Tullius Cicero, Selected Political Speeches, Michael Grant (trans.), Penguin Classics; Reprint edition, 1977. Livy, The Early History of Rome, Aubrey De Selincourt (trans.), Penguin, 1960. Plautus, The Pot of Gold and Other Plays, E. F. Watling (trans.), Penguin Classics; New Impression Edition, 1965. Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Republic, Rex Warner (trans.), Penguin, 1958. Sallust, The Jugurthine War / The Conspiracy of Catiline, S. A. Handford (trans.), Penguin Classics; Reissue edition, 1964. UNDERSTANDING READING ASSIGNMENTS Reading assignments are due on the date posted on the schedule. Where possible ancient citations are used. This means that the first number you see usually indicates the book number. This is followed by a period. The second number or set of numbers you see indicates the chapter number(s) in prose or line number(s) in poetry. A comma or semi-colon is used when listing a series of the same value. SCHEDULE Tuesday, August 21 Why do you want to tell this story? Thursday, August 23 Nature of the Evidence; Arguments and Evidence Read: Boatwright 1-6, 37-40 From the translator’s introduction to Livy pp 1-12 Livy 1.pr-1.32 = pages 29-68 Quiz: Po (=Padus) river valley, Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Appennine Mts., Alps, Etruria, Latium, Campania, Tiber River, Rome Tuesday, August 28 Early Rome in the Mediterranean Basin Read: Livy 1.32-59 = pages 68-104 Boatwright 9-16, 23-25, 32-45 Quiz: Magna Graecia, Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal), Carthage, Phoenicia, Corinth, Epirus, Egypt, Sicily, Cumae, Veii Thursday, August 30 Peer Reviews ATTENDANCE MANDATORY Read: Livy 2.9-13 = pp. 117 (last paragraph)-124 Know: http://writing.colostate.edu/ Write: First Argumentative Paper 600 ± 50 words; bring two copies to class Check this out! Tuesday, September 4 Founding of the Republic Read: Livy 2.1-9, 2.14-2.30 pp. 107-117, 124-145 Boatwright 45-53 Thursday, September 6 Struggle of the Orders Read: Livy, 3.31-59 (middle of p. 233 - 267) updated XII Tables (online) Boatwright 53-57 Tuesday, September 11 External Conflicts Read: Livy, 5.1-23 Polybius, Histories 3.1-34 A useful interactive map Boatwright, 75-95 Thursday, September 13 Roman Literature Read: Plautus, Miles Gloriosus Boatwright, pp. 97-119 Tuesday, September 18 Roman Literature Read: Plautus, Miles Gloriosus Thursday, September 20 Pseudolus Read: Plautus, Pseudolus Tuesday, September 25 Slavery Read: Plautus, Pseudolus Thursday, September 27 MIDTERM EXAM Tuesday, October 2 Second and Third Punic Wars Read: Online reading: Some questions to help focus the reading: Why do the Romans go to war against Carthage a third time? Why do they win battles? What are the socio-economic consequences of expansion? Polybius, Excerpts regarding the Third Punic War Polybius, Excerpts on military formations Plutarch, Life of Cato the Elder Unfortunately this text does not provide chapter numbers. Read only first 4 paragraphs (up to "take a little wine") 8th paragraph (starting with "Cato grew more and more powerful...") last 5 paragraphs (starting with "Some will have the overthrow of Carthage..."). A useful interactive map Here's another nice map page for Roman expansion. Thursday, October 4 Roman Religion Read: At the Ancient History Sourcebook site link to and read "Accounts of Roman State Religion, c. 200 BCE- 250CE, " "Roman Religious Toleration: The Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus, 186 BCE." Under "Roman Religiones Licitae and Illicitae, c. 204 BCE - 112 CE" read the two sources on the Magna Mater. IMPORTANT: Print out and bring to class the reading for the Bacchanalian conspiracy. Be prepared to talk about why (if?) the Romans object to the worship of Bacchus. Tuesday, October 9 Roman Government and Society Read: Polybius, 6.5-9, 11-18 (only these chapters) Cicero, On the Republic 1.35-40 Boatwright, pp. 136-156 NOTE: If you missed picking up the take home quiz in class on Thursday, make sure to get one from the door of the professor's office. Thursday, October 11 Tiberius Gracchus Read: Plutarch, Tiberius Gracchus (entire) Appian, The Civil Wars 1.7-17 Livy, Periochae (lit., Summaries) 58. (link to the summary of book 58 at the bottom of this page) Boatwright, pp. 156-160 (optional) Tuesday, October 16 Gaius Gracchus Read: Plutarch, Gaius Gracchus, (entire) Appian, The Civil Wars 1.18-27 Boatwright, pp. 160-165 EXTRA COPIES OF TAKE HOME QUIZ AGAIN HANGING ON OFFICE DOOR Thursday, October 18 Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi, and other women Read: Lefkowitz, et al., Women's Life in Greece and Rome #173. Online texts on Cornelia. Sallust, Conspiracy of Catiline24 (ch. 24 in my translation is on pages 192-3 at the end of chapter II, if yours is not there, check the index for Sempronia). Appian, The Civil Wars 4.32-40. Cicero. Letters (at Halsall site) # XI (second paragraph), XVII (second pargraph), XIX (only the paragraph about Lepta) , XXVII (entire). Lefkowitz, et al., Women's Life in Greece and Rome #168, 178. Boatwright, pp. 209-211. Tuesday, October 23 Marius, the Patron Client Relationship and the Social War Read: Plutarch, Marius (in Fall of the Roman Republic) 3-4, 6-13, 28-33 Plutarch, Sulla (in Fall of the Roman Republic), 3-6 Boatwright, pp. 166-185 Thursday, October 25 Dictatorship of Sulla Read: Plutarch, Marius 34-36, 41-46 Plutarch, Sulla, read translator's introduction to Sulla's life, 1, 7-10, 22-25, 27-38 Boatwright, pp. 185-204 Tuesday, October 30 Rome in the 70s and 60s Read: Plutarch, Crassus 1-4, 6-13 Plutarch, Pompey 6-21 Plutarch, Cicero 6-23 Cicero, Letters (at Halsall site) # II Boatwright, pp. 204-208, 211-223 Thursday, November 1 Catilinarian Conspiracy ATTENDANCE MANDATORY Read: Cicero, In Catilina, Speeches 1 and 4; Sallust, Catilinarian War 5 (bottom of page 177 - 178. On Cat.'s character), 10-18 (pp. 181-top of 187), 21-28 (p 190-195) 34-36 (bottom of page 200-202), 40-55 (206-227). There is a convenient chronological summary on pages 172-174. Write: Thesis and Topic Sentences Instructions for written assignment Tuesday, November 6 Roman Revolution: 50s and the Rise of Caesar Read: Appian, The Civil Wars 1.120-121, 2.8-37 Plutarch, Crassus 14-16 Plutarch, Pompey 22-23, 25-26, 30-31, 43-44, 47-61 Plutarch, Cicero 28-37 Plutarch, Caesar 1-2, 9-10, 13-14, 17, 21, 28-32 Boatwright, pp. 225-246 Thursday, November 8 Political Violence Read: Cicero, Pro Milone Tuesday, November 13 Peer Review ATTENDANCE MANDATORY Write: Second Argumentative Paper due 1500-1800 words BRING TWO COPIES OF YOUR COMPLETE PAPER. BE ON TIME. Thursday, November 15 Roman Revolution: Caesar's Dictatorship Read: Cicero, Letters selections, section 1 "Crossing Various Rubicons" Suetonius, Julius Caesar 27-33 (= XXVII-XXXIII) Appian, The Civil Wars 2.41, 82, 86, 98-99, 101, 106-107 Plutarch, Pompey 62-63, 65, 71, 77 Plutarch, Cicero 38-40 Plutarch, Caesar 37, 46, 51, 54-59 Boatwright, pp. 246-254 November 20-22 THANKSGIVING BREAK Tuesday, November 27 Fall of Caesar and Re-Emergence of Civil War Read: Cicero's Letters selections section 2 "After the Ides of March" Suetonius, Julius Caesar 40-44, 76, 78, 80, 83, 85, 89 (= XL-XLIV, LXXVI, LXXVIII, LXXX, LXXXIII, LXXXV, LXXXIX) Appian, The Civil Wars 2.108-148; 3.1, 9-1 Plutarch, Cicero 42 Plutarch, Caesar, 60-69 Nicolaus of Damascus, Life of Augustus 19-27 Boatwright, pp. 254-265 Thursday, November 29 Re-Emergence of Civil War Read: Cicero, Philippic I Tuesday, December 4 Review Thursday, December 6 Roman Revolution: Triumvirate Read: Appian, The Civil Wars 4.2-16, 19-20, 32-35, 113-114; 5.1-3, 8-12, 14, 18-19, 48-49, 59-66, 71-74, 76, 143-145 Suetonius, Augustus 9-17 Plutarch, Cicero 43-49 Cicero, Letters selections section 3 "Misunderstanding Octavian" ~~Cicero, 2 Philippics 25, 29-34, 88-89, 100, 118~~ Cassius Dio 50.1, 3-7, 15 Nicolaus of Damascus, Life of Augustus 6, 8, 13, 16-18, 28-30 Boatwright, pp. 267-288 Thursday, December 13 FINAL EXAM 5:50-7:50 PM	return to courses page