HIST 492.004
Cultural and Social Values in the Roman Republic
Fall 2007
Course Description
How does an understanding of Roman cultural and social values help historians to understand large forces of historical change like the creation, expansion and collapse of the Roman republic? Assumptions about the meaning of words like “family,” “crime,” “public,” “private,” “prayer,” “god,” “virtue,” “glory,” “envy,” “patronage,” “honor,” and “friendship” must be discarded in order for historians to develop a better understanding of what motivated the Romans individually and as a people to make the choices that they made.
With the professor's help, students will choose a topic, and write a lengthy, argumentative 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.
It is HIGHLY recommended that students who have not already studied Roman History enroll concurrently in HIST 301 The Roman Republic.
Texts:
- Holland, Tom, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, Doubleday, 2004.
- Booth, Wayne C., The Craft of Research, University of Chicago, 2nd ed., 1995.
- Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th 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.
