CLAS/HIST
4091/5091: The
http://www.colorado.edu/Classics/clas4091
Fall
2011: MWF
11-11:50
Room: MCOL
E155
Instructor: Noel Lenski
Office: WDBY 406
Hours: WF 11:00-12:00
Telphone: 492-8184 (Of.)
e-mail: lenski@colorado.edu
Final exam: Saturday,
December 10, 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
I. Purpose
In this
course, we will examine the history of the Roman Empire from the beginnings of
the Augustan principate (31 BC), through the Roman peace of the first and second
centuries, the turmoil of the third century, the restoration of the empire
under Christian rulership in the fourth century, and the fall of the western
empire in the fifth century. We will
explore the major political events of the period and their chronological
framework and will also examine broader social and cultural questions that
relate to
II. Readings and Discussion
Required
Texts
-M.T. Boatwright, D. Gargola, R.
Talbert. The Romans: From Village to Empire: A History of Ancient Rome from
Earliest Times to Constantine. Oxford, 2004
-N. Lewis and M. Reinhold Roman Civilization: Selected
-Eusebius The History of the Church From Christ to
-Suetonius The Twelve Caesars trans. C. Edwards (Oxford, 2001).
-Apuleius The Golden Ass trans. E. Kenney (
Clickers
This class
will take advantage of clicker technology, for taking attendance and in order
to help orient our questions and discussion. For these purposes you will need
to acquire an “iClicker” if you do not already have one.
Web
Many of the
readings will be from material not found in the books you are required to
purchase. All of this material is
available online. I have identified
websites on the syllabus. I will also be distributing reading guides for the
discussion sessions (usually on Fridays) that will include URLs. Above all, I
will be posting these reading guides to the website so that you can simply
click on URLs rather than having to enter them. When using this online
material, you will need to follow the instructions I give about precisely what
to read. In general I follow standard citation formats for specific ancient
texts. In most instances, these should be clear from the website, but in some
instances I have had to direct you to start and stop at certain combinations of
words which you will have to do a search to find.
Any online
material listed under Norlin e-reserve is available at Norlin Library using the
following password: romanempire
III. Assignments:
You will be
expected to read about 100-150 text pages each week. You should read carefully, paying attention
both to detail (names, dates, etc...) and to the broader picture (trends,
developments, etc...) since tests will include both identifications and
essays.
IV. Grading:
There will be
two in-class map quizzes, one in-class midterm examination, one Facebook
assignment, one 8 page paper, and one final examination. Attendance at lecture
is required and students will be expected to click in at the beginning of each
class to confirm their attendance. You are allowed three unexcused absences
after which your attendance grade will drop by one letter for each additional
absence. Included in your attendance grade will be your performance in
discussion. Grades will be determined as follows:
|
Map Quizzes |
10% (5%
each) |
|
Midterm Facebook
Assignment 8 -Page
Paper |
20% 10% 20% |
|
Attendance
and Discussion |
15% |
|
Final |
25% |
|
|
|
Graduate
students must
complete all of the requirements expected of the undergraduates but will also
be called on to prepare a fifteen to twenty page research paper. The paper
should be on a topic of your choice which should only be undertaken after discussion
with the professor. I will hold a meeting in the fourth week of class to
discuss the paper further. The paper is due on the last day of classes,
December 9, in my office by 5:00 pm.
Grades for graduate students will be determined as follows:
|
Map Quizzes |
6% (3%
each) |
|
Midterm Facebook
assignment 8-Page
Paper |
15% 7% 8% |
|
Attendance
and Discussion |
15% |
|
Final |
21% |
|
Research
Paper |
28% |
NB See the section on Chronology at the end of this syllabus for
information about extra credit
V. Schedule
Key for
Reading Assignments
RVE = The
Romans: From Village to Empire
LR = Lewis and Reinhold Roman Civilization: Selected
Week 1
Mon. Aug. 22
(L1) Prologue: Why
Wed. Aug. 24 (L2) Rise and Fall of the
RVE p. 225-66
Fri. Aug. 31 (L 3) The
First Citizen: Augustus and the Rise of the Principate
RVE
p. 267-288
Week 2
Mon. Aug. 29 (L4) The Customs of our Ancestors: Augustan Society
First Map Quiz
No reading
Wed.
Aug. 31 (L5) Empire without end!
Augustan Rule
Fri. Sept. 2 (R1) Discussion
1: “Res Gestae”
Suetonius Augustus secs. 1-60; 97-101 (p. 43-74; 93-97)
Res
Gestae Divi Augusti (The
Deeds of the Deified Augustus) read entire at http://classics.mit.edu/Augustus/deeds.html
Tacitus Annals 1.1-5, read the first four paragraphs at http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.1.i.html
Mon.
Sept. 5 Labor Day (No Classes)
Wed. Sept. 7
(L6) The Golden Age: Augustan
Culture
No reading
Fri. Sept. 9 No Class
Week 4
Mon. Sept. 12
(R2) Discussion 2: Augustan Poetry and Propaganda
Passages from Augustan
Poetry in K. Chisholm and J. Ferguson
Wed.
Sept. 14 (L7) Dynasty: The Julio
Claudians
RVE
p. 317-37
Fri. Sept. 16 (R3) Discussion
3: Nero, Maniac or Genius?
Suetonius
Life of Nero all (p. 195-227)
Tacitus
Annals 14.14-22
http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.10.xiv.html
begin at “He had long...” and end at “...divine displeasure.”
Tacitus
Annals 15.32-46
http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.11.xv.html
begin at “That same year...” and end at “...smaller vessels.”
Tacitus
Annals 16.1-20
http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.12.xvi.html
begin at “Fortune soon...” and end at “...undeserved death.”
Week 5
Mon. Sept. 19
(L8) The Law of Empire: The Flavians (Graduate paper
discussion)
RVE
p. 353-65
LR
sections 2-4 (p. 3-11)
Wed. Sept. 21
(L9) The Five Good Emperors
RVE
p. 365-81, 393-404
Fri. Sept. 23
(R4) Discussion 4: Hadrian, World
Emperor
Historia
Augusta Life of
Hadrian (on e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
Facebook Assignment Due
Week 6
Mon.
Sept. 26 (L10) The Severan Empire
RVE p. 405-416
Wed. Sept. 28
(L11) The Emperor at Work
LR sections 4-7 (p. 11-26)
Fri. Sept. 30
(R5) Discussion 5: Pliny and Trajan
LR sections 19; 63; 69; 78 (p. 67-9;
231-2; 251-5; 295-8)
The
Letters of Pliny the Younger
Bk. 10 letters 14-121 (on e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
Week 7
Mon. Oct. 3
(L12) Pax Romana: The Provinces
RVE
p. 342-47, 416-25
LR
sections 75-76; 90 (p. 278-88; 329-37)
Wed. Oct. 5
(L13) War Machine: The Roman
Imperial Army and its Uses
RVE
p. 338-9
LR
sections 135-41; 150-52 (p. 444-62; 482-97)
Fri. Oct. 7 (R6) Discussion
6: Apuleius and the World of the Golden Ass
Apuleius The Golden Ass (p. 18-71; 106-120; 136-94)
Week 8
Mon. Oct. 10 Midterm Examination
Wed. Oct. 12
(L14) Women and Family in the High
Empire
LR
sections 87; 89 (p. 323-4; 326-9)
Fri. Oct. 14 (R7) Discussion 7:
Women and Society, Women and Power
LR
sections 91-103 (p. 338-71)
NB: CLASS IS CANCELLED THIS DAY; THIS DAY'S READING IS REASSIGNED TO FRI. OCT. 14
Week 9
Mon. Oct. 17
(L15) Slaves and Freedmen
LR
sections 50 (p. 175-82)
Wed. Oct. 19
(L16) Rural Life, Urban Life
RVE
p. 339-42, 388-91
LR sections 16-17; 24; 51-52; 74 (p.
58-64; 85-95; 183-89; 276-8)
Fri. Oct. 21 (R8) Discussion 8:Juvenal and Petronius: Satire and
the City
LR
sections 37-38 (p. 135-40)
Juvenal Satire 1 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/juv-sat1eng.html
Juvenal Satire 3 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/juv-sat3eng.html
Petronius
Satyricon chapters 27-78 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5219/5219-h/5219-h.htm
NB: THIS FRIDAY WE WILL BE READING THE ASSIGNMENT LISTED UNDER OCT. 14 = DISUCUSSION 7
Week 10
Mon. Oct. 24 (L17) A Study in Contrasts? Aristocrats and Freedmen
LR sections 12-14, 48-49 (p. 41-50,
167-75)
Wed. Oct. 26 (L18) Pax
Deorum: Religion and
Belief in a World Empire
RVE
p. 347-51, 391-2
LR
sections 161-166 (p. 514-50)
Fri. Nov. 28 (R9) The Cults of Isis and Mithras:
Universal Religions?
Apuleius The
Golden Ass (p. 195-214)
R. Turcan The Cults of the Roman Empire p. 195-247 (on e-reserves in Norlin Library)
Week 11
Mon. Oct. 31 (L19) Bread and Circuses! Spectacle and Festival
RVE
p. 381-88
LR
sections 70-71 (p. 255-72)
Wed. Nov. 2
(L20) The True Story of the Roman
Arena
No
Reading
Fri. Nov. 4 (R10) Discussion 10: Attitudes to Spectacle
8-page paper due
LR
section 40 (p. 142-49)
Seneca
Letter 7 (on e-reserves at Norlin
Library: password "romanempire")
Tertullian
The Shows at
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0303.htm
Week 12
Mon. Nov. 7 (L21) The Crisis of the Third Century
RVE
Second edition p. 427-435 (on e-reserves at Norlin Library: password
"romanempire")
Wed. Nov. 9 (L22)
The New Empire of Diocletian
RVE
Second edition p. 435-457 (on e-reserves at Norlin Library: password
"romanempire")
Fri. Nov. 11 (R11) Discussion 11: Chaos and Transformation
in the 3rd century
LR sections 104-133 (p. 372-441)
Inscription of Shapur I at Naqsh-i
Rustam at
(on e-reserves at Norlin Library:
password "romanempire")
Week 13
Mon. Nov. 14 (R12) Discussion 12: Martyrdom and Persecution
Martyrdom
of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas at
(on e-reserves at Norlin Library)
Eusebius
History of the Church
II.1-3;
22-5 (p. 35-40; 57-63)
III.17-20; 32-33 (p. 80-2; 95-97)
IV.14-17 (p. 116-26)
V.1-5 (p. 138-52)
VI.39-45 (p. 208-19)
VII.10-17
(p. 225-33)
VIII.1-17 (p. 256-81)
Wed. Nov. 16
(L23) Bishop of Those Outside:
Christianization
of the Empire
RVE Second edition p. 458-466 (on
e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
LR sections 173-176 (p. 571-82)
Fri. Nov. 18 (R13) Discussion 13: The Life of
Eusebius
Life of
Bk. I.1-3; 14-40; 49-55
Bk. II.1-21; 44-53; 61-68
Bk. III.6-14; 25-33; 54-6
Bk. IV.1-28; 56-75
at http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2502.htm
Week 14 (Fall Break: No Classes)
Week 15
Mon. Nov. 28 (L24) Emperors and Frontiers: The Collapse of
Territorial Integrity
RVE
Second edition p. 466-486 (on e-reserves at Norlin Library: password
"romanempire")
Wed. Nov. 30 (L25) The Empire Unwinds, The Empire Survives
RVE Second edition p. 487-505 (on
e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
Fri. Dec. 2 (R14) Discussion 14:
Ammianus Marcellinus
Bk. 16.11-12, begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_16_book16.htm#C11
Bk. 17.1-2; 8-10 begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_17_book17.htm#C1
and continue at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_17_book17.htm#C8
Bk. 18.2 begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_18_book18.htm#C2
Bk. 21.3-4 begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_21_book21.htm#C3
Bk. 27.5 begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_27_book27.htm#C5
Bk. 31 entire, begin at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_31_book31.htm#C1
Martyrdom
of St. Saba begin (on
e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
Week 16
Mon.
Dec. 5 (L26) Women and Family in Late
Antiquity
RVE Second edition p. 505-515 (on
e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
LR sections 183-5 (p. 599-608)
Wed.
Dec. 7 (L27) Barbarians
LR sections 8-9; 62; 191 (p. 26-35; 229-30; 618-24)
Fri. Dec. 9 (L28) Epilogue: Roma
Aeterna
RVE Second edition p. 515-518 (on
e-reserves at Norlin Library: password "romanempire")
LR sections 192-194 (p. 624-30)
Final Examination: Saturday, December
10, 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., in MCOL E155
Chronology
In
its simplest form, history is a series of events occurring over time. Naturally, you will be called on to remember
some of the more important dates in Imperial history. Moreover, it will be of tremendous use for
you to remember the dates during which the various emperors ruled. For these
purposes, you will be given a sheet listing “The Roman Emperors from Augustus
to
Disabilities:
If you qualify for accommodations because of a
disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely
manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services
determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact:
303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Religious Observances:
Campus policy regarding religious observances
requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all
students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled
exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, students are expected
to notify the instructor within two weeks of a religious holiday if they intend
to miss an examination or other evaluated exercise so that accommodations can
be made. All other absences for religious holidays will be considered as one of
the three automatically excused absences.
Classroom
Behavior:
Students and faculty each have responsibility for
maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to
such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy
and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics
dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual
orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters
are provided to the instructor with the
student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an
alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in
the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See
polices at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html
and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
Discrimination and Harassment:
The
should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at
303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.
Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus
resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or
harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh
Honor Code:
All students of the
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273).
Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will
be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic
sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).
Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html
and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/