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HIEU 102A – ANCIENT ROMAN CIVILIZATION
COURSE SYLLABUS
3 hours lecture, 4 units; letter grade or pass/no pass option.
Instructor: Dr. David Miano
Email: [email protected]
Office: H&SS 6071
Lecture Times: Tues/Thurs 6:30-7:50 pm
Room: Pepper Canyon 109
Office Hours: Thurs 3-5 pm
Course Description: This course covers the political, economic, social, and intellectual history of the Roman
world from the foundation of the city of Rome (753 BCE) to the disintegration of the Western Empire (circa 500
CE). This course will emphasize the importance of the political and cultural contributions of Rome to modern
society. This is an upper-division course (juniors and seniors only). There are no prerequisites.
Course Objectives: Students will acquire an historical perspective, permitting them to identify the personal and
cultural values that shape decisions in public, professional, and private lives, both in the past and present. They
will develop an awareness of the complexity of cultural change. They will learn the geography of the Roman
world. They will be introduced to the wide variety of tools, methods, and data that are available for conducting
historical research. They will learn to interpret literary, historical, and philosophical texts and to conduct
independent critical assessment of documents and ideas.
Texts: The Historians of Ancient Rome (R. Mellor, ed.; Routledge, 1997); Cicero, On Obligations (Oxford
World Classics, 2001); Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Modern Library, 2003).
Course Requirements: The formal requirements of the course include regular attendance at class-meetings,
completion of assigned reading, three historical vocabulary tests (1/20, 2/10, 3/3), a formal paper (due 3/8),
three source analyses (or one special project), and a final examination (3/15).
Grade Breakdown:
30%
15%
25%
30%
historical vocabulary tests (10% each)
source analyses (5% each) OR one special project
paper
final exam
Grades of papers handed in late will be lowered by 1/3 of a letter grade each day past the due date. Students will
do well in the course only if they attend lectures faithfully and keep up with the reading assignments.
Attendance: I do not take attendance, but since the information from my lectures is not available in any specific
textbook, it is important to be in class every day. If you miss a class, make arrangements with a classmate to
keep you informed about what you missed.
Academic Integrity: This class will be conducted in accordance with the college student code of conduct and
basic standards of academic honesty. Cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty are not
acceptable and will not be tolerated. Violations of standards of academic honesty will be reported to the school
dean for appropriate action.
Academic Accommodation: Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should
discuss options with me during the first two weeks of class.
Alternate Times for Final Exam: I follow UCSD policy here, which means that an alternate time for the final
exam can be arranged for students who are taking more than two exams on the same day. Students who need
accommodation should discuss option with me at least two weeks before the final exam.
Lecture Schedule
Reading Schedule
1/4
1/6
I. Sources for Roman History
II. Ancient Italy
1/4
1/5
1/6
Mellor, 170-183
Mellor, 183-199
Mellor, 200-205
1/11
III. Rome of the Kings
IV. The Early Republic
A. The Rise of the Republic
B. Rome and Italy in the 5th Century BCE
C. Fall of Veii and the Sack of Rome
1/9
1/10
1/11
1/12
1/13
Mellor, 205-214
Mellor, 215-219
Mellor, 219-227
Mellor, 227-241
no reading
D. Roman Institutions in the 4th Century BCE
E. The Conquest of Italy
III. Roman Domination of the Mediterranean
A. Development of the Roman Nobility
B. Wars with Carthage
1. First Punic War (264-241)
1/16
1/17
1/18
1/19
1/20
Mellor, 50-63
no reading
Mellor, 17-32
Mellor, 32-50
Mellor, 242-266
1/23
1/24
1/25
1/26
1/27
Mellor, 266-277
Mellor, 277-288
Mellor, 304-312
no reading
no reading
1/30
1/31
2/1
2/2
2/3
Mellor, 65-79
no reading
Plutarch, “Life of Sulla”*
On Obligations, Book 1
On Obligations, Book 2
2/6
2/7
2/8
2/9
2/10
On Obligations, Book 3
Mellor, 162-168, 368-381
Mellor, 322-330
Mellor, 381-402
Mellor, 402-426
1/13
1/18
1/20
1/25
1/27
2/1
2/3
2/8
2/10
2. Second Punic War (218-201)
C. Administration of an Empire
IV. The Roman Revolutions and End of the Republic
A. Mid-Second Century Roman Politics
B. Marius
C. Sulla
D. Julius Caesar
E. The Second Triumvirate
V. The Early Empire
A. The Reign of Augustus
2/15
2/17
B. The Julio-Claudians
C. The Flavians
D. The Antonines
2/13
2/14
2/15
2/16
2/17
Mellor, 451-471
Mellor, 491-499
Mellor, 499-514
Mellor, 332-345
Mellor, 518-530
2/22
2/24
E. The Severans
F. Upheaval in the Mid-Third Century CE
2/20
2/21
2/22
2/23
2/24
Mellor, 540-555
Mellor, 575-593
Meditations, Books 1-3
Meditations, Books 4-6
Meditations, Books 7-9
3/1
3/3
G. Aurelian, Diocletian, and the Tetrarchy
VI. The Christianization of the Empire
A. Constantine
B. The Emergence of Christendom
2/27
2/28
3/1
3/2
3/3
Meditations, Books 10-12
Mellor, 558-574
Mellor, 596-613
Procopius, History of the Wars, Bk III**
Procopius, History of the Wars, Bk IV**
3/8
3/10
VII. The Divided Empire
A. The Great Invasions
B. The Extinction of the Western Empire
3/15
Final Examination 7-10 pm
*http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Sulla*.html
** http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16765/16765-8.txt
Questions on the Readings for Weeks 1- 3 (due 1/25)
1. What good does Livy hope will result from the reading of his history?
2. What qualities in individuals, both men and women, are presented as admirable by Livy and why?
Conversely, what qualities are presented as harmful and why?
3. What is the role of religion in the founding and strengthening of the state?
4. What is the role of war, and peace?
5. What attitudes toward foreign customs and religion are expressed?
6. How does Livy use rape stories (Lucretia and Verginia) to make political points?
7. How does Livy portray the Gauls?
8. Polybius said that Rome had a mixed constitution, joining features of kingship, aristocracy, and democracy.
Explain briefly what he means by that.
9. What is the historian’s duty, according to Polybius?
10. According to Polybius, what was the cause of the Second Punic War?
11. What are the differences between Livy’s and Polybius’ description of the same events?
Source Analysis Assignment #2
Questions on the Readings for Weeks 4-6 (due 2/15)
1. What moral lessons does Livy attempt to draw from events associated with the Second Punic War?
2. What does Livy’s narrative about the Oppian Law tell you about the Roman view of women?
3. What does Appian’s narrative about the Gracchi tell you about the author’s views of the causes for which
these two brothers fought?
4. How would you characterize Plutarch’s style of writing?
5. How much respect would you say Plutarch has for Sulla? Why?
6. The focus of On Obligations is on cases where there appear to be conflicts between right (what is honorable)
and advantage (what is useful). As Cicero sets out his topic, he discusses “apparent” usefulness. What does he
mean by this?
7. What lesson does Cicero convey by discussing people taking part in a race?
8. According to Cicero, were Regulus’ actions both right and advantageous?
9. In Caesar’s description of the Gauls and Germans, what sorts of things does he respect about these people,
and what things does he look down on?
10. To what degree did Augustus restore the Republic, as stated at the end of his Res gestae?
11. What were the two arrangements Augustus made for settling or defining his position? Why was the first not
sufficient? What did it mean to be Princeps?
Source Analysis Assignment #3
Questions on the Readings for Weeks 7-9 (due 3/8)
1. According to what you read in Tacitus, was the survival of the principate inevitable? How did Augustus’ heirs
legitimize their power?
2. What kind of relationship did Claudius have with his wives?
3. In Tacitus’ presentation of Nero and his mother, Agrippina the Younger, who do you feel deserves
understanding? Either or only one, or none?
4. Towards whom is Josephus more favorable—the Romans or the Jews?
5. According to Cassius Dio, why did Trajan see himself as another Alexander?
6. According to the anonymous biographer, what made Hadrian so great?
7. Would you say Marcus Aurelius has a positive or negative outlook on life? Why do you so answer?
8. What biases does Eusebius show in his Life of Constantine?
9. What significance does Eusebius put on the reign of Constantine?
10. Describe the difference between Eusebius’ and Ammianus’ approach to history.
11. Describe the differences between Constantine’s and Julian’s approach to religion.
12. According to Procopius, how might Alaric the Visigoth have gotten into Rome to sack it (Book III)?