What has to change for a people to accept a new form of government?
What are the consequences of political change in other spheres
(social, literary, religious, intellectual, cultural)?

In this capstone seminar students will explore the years from 44 BCE - 14 CE (from the death of Julius Caesar until the death of Augustus) when the Romans made the transition from republic to empire. With the professor's help, students will choose a topic from the area of political, cultural, intellectual, or social history, and write a lengthy research paper and lead class discussions on that topic. In the process, students will demonstrate and continue to develop their skills as historians. In particular, emphasis will be given to refining those skills that allow historians to make sophisticated historical arguments in both written and spoken form. These skills include (but are not limited to) forming argumentative theses, finding and properly citing evidence, and critically analyzing both primary sources and modern scholarship.

Required Texts:
Other translations of ancient texts are acceptable.

• Booth, Wayne C., The Craft of Research (University of Chicago) 2nd ed., 1995.
• Cassius Dio, The Roman History: The Reign of Augustus, Penguin, 1987.
• Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Penguin, 1957, 1979.
• Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. Chicago, 1996.

Availability of Information:

Online reading assignments are linked from the syllabus. On the professor's "links" pages you will find links to three extremely valuable webpages: Perseus, The Ancient History Sourcebook, The Internet Classics Archive. Use them. Morgan library also has a webpage designed for a slightly different topic than the one you will be researching, but with useful information, nonetheless.

Requirements and Evaluation:

The evaluation is as indicated in the schedule. Late assignments will not be accepted. One missed class is missing a week and therefore far from desirable; more than one missed class will substantially diminish your final grade. You must bring the material we are discussing to class with you. You are required to behave like mature, responsible, ethical adults. The professor grades using a +/- system.

SCHEDULE

January 19 (3%) ROMAN HISTORY

Res Gestae Divi Augusti

January 26 (3%) TRIUMVIRATE (Homework Directions)

Dio 50-51
Suetonius Augustus 8-18, 62
Appian The Civil Wars 5.1, 3, 17-18, 31-49, 124-131
Velleius Paterculus 2.65-66, 74, 84-89
Cicero Selected Letters section III "Misunderstanding Octavian"

Be prepared to turn in your notes on the reading.

February 2 (3%) OCTAVIAN BECOMES AUGUSTUS - 27 BCE

Dio 52-53
Augustus Res Gestae Divi Augusti
Suetonius Augustus 19-60, 63-65, 73, 89, 93, 100-101
Tacitus Annals 1.1-5 (no passage #s at this site so stop at "The first crime of the new reign")
Velleius Paterculus 2.96, 100, 103-104
Booth, 35-47

(2%) Research Topic Due
Use the 3 steps on page 44 of Booth to structure this assignment.

February 9 (3%) RESEARCH DAY (meet in library)

Turabian, pp. 150-153, 165-213
Booth, 48-63, 149-174
Bring a text (or more than one) to work on during the class period.
Bring note-taking material (computer, index cards, paper, highlighters, etc.) DO NOT WRITE (using any implement) IN LIBRARY BOOKS!!!

Before coming to class write your specific plan for how you intend to spend the three hours.

February 16 (3%) RESEARCH DAY (meet in class room)

Bring a text (or more than one) to work on during the class period.
Bring note-taking material (computer, index cards, paper, highlighters, etc.) DO NOT WRITE (using any implement) IN LIBRARY BOOKS!!!

Before coming to class write how you spent your week and your specific plan for how you intend to spend the three hours.

Also read Booth, Chapter Seven. Read carefully, there will be an in-class exercise based on the reading.

February 23 (2%) INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH THE PROFESSOR

A sign up sheet will be made available on the professor's office door. Come to the meeting with a list of specific questions or ideas you want to discuss.

March 2 (5%) EVIDENCE, CLAIMS, WARRANTS, ARGUMENTS

Booth, 90-92, 111-150
Provide a part of your argument for the class to discuss, using all of the elements in chapter seven of Booth, including a direct quote or image from your ancient evidence.

March 9 (5%) RESEARCH DAY

Booth, 64-84
Turabian, 39-63
Review of Three Book Reviews and Annotated Bibliography Due

March 16 SPRING RECESS, NO CLASS

March 23 (5%) ARGUMENTS

Turabian, 64-72
Thesis and Topic Sentences Due
A hint about analysis

March 30 (3%) WORKSHOP ON DRAFTS AND PEER REVIEWS

Booth, xi-xiv, 3-16
Turabian, 73-86
Stoneberger, "The Prominence and Power of Augustus, Shaping the Lives of the Common People" (unpublished paper)

We will have a guest scholar, so please be on time ready to practice peer reviewing the "Prominence and Power" paper and your colleagues' work.

Bring three copies of a few pages of your analytical research paper since we will have time set aside for a practice peer review. The portion of your paper that you bring in should include evidence (properly cited) and argument. Also, it should state your thesis as it stands at the time.

April 6 (5%) PEER REVIEW

Booth, 17-26 (before you write your draft)
Turabian, 116-164

First (NOT ROUGH) draft of 6000-word Research Paper Due
earlier in the week so peer reviewers can discuss papers in class (Timing should be worked out with your peer reviewers, but no later than Wednesday at noon). Please note, although this is only worth 5% of your grade, if you do not provide what you think should pass for a finished product the professor WILL deduct more than 5% from your course grade.

April 13 (5%) NO CLASS MEETING

Booth, 208-240 (before you revise)
Turabian, 239-281
Revised Research Paper due at noon.

Please note, although this is only worth 5% of your grade, if you do not provide what might pass for a finished product the professor WILL deduct more than 5% from your course grade.

April 20 (2%) INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH THE PROFESSOR

A sign up sheet will be made available on the professor's office door. Come to the meeting prepared to discuss your draft.

Highly recommended writing workshop. Register soon as the workshops cap at 20.

April 27 (3%) WRITING DAY Professor will be around to offer assistance

Booth, 201-211

No class today unless you want to come.

MONDAY April 30 (45%) Hard Copy of Final draft of research paper due to professor; E-mail attachment of draft due to classmates (cc professor) by 5 PM. Include thesis statement in body of e-mail.

Booth 215-254

May 4 No Class

TUESDAY May 8 11:20-1:20: (3%) REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE

Read at least two papers (earlier drafts of which you did not read) written by your colleagues. Meet to discuss the reign of Augustus and the transition from republic to empire.