History 331 Syllabus, Roman Imperial History 2002

History 331, The Roman and Early Byzantine Empire

Spring 2002
Dept. of History
University of Richmond
Walt Stevenson
NC 211 Office Hours: TR 1-2 (or by appt.)

Course Description
Course Requirements
Grading
Assignments
Texts

Course Description: Rome's "imperial" period traditionally begins with the "princeps" Augustus consolidating an empire stretching from Spain to Persia, Ethiopia to Russia, under a centralized bureaucracy. The period ends with Rome's Islamic successor driving two tiny survivors, Byzantium and Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire, back under cover. This course will outline the evolving imperial strategies and their social effects. It will also attempt to explain the vast shift from Augustus' laissez-faire conglomeration of peoples and kingdoms to Diocletian's totalitarian state, from the great pax romana (Roman peace) to the endless battles with wave after wave of "barbarians," from syncretic polytheism to the theocracy of Theodosius and his Muslim followers, in short, from antiquity to the "middle age."

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Requirements: The following will be required of all students taking the course:

attend classes with a look of intense intellectual curiosity
complete all the assigned reading carefully taking notes and thinking about the inherent issues
read Wells/Cameron and take a test on the basic background
write out a developed problem with the reading for the day (for discussion days)
contribute thoughtfully to class discussion
write a detailed and persuasive essay for the midterm and final
complete one of the following projects (original work is required here):
- 10 page research paper.
- 10 page narrative from an ancient perspective.
- 5 page critical review of Gore Vidal's Julian.
- 5 page critical review of a scholarly book (instructor's approval required).

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Grading:

Test: 10%
Class Participation: 20%
Midterm: 20%
Project: 25%
Final: 25%

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Schedule of Assignments:

(N.B. These texts can only be accessed from UR's campus network.)

1. (January 7) Introduction to the Course.
2. (January 9) Review of Mediterranean Geography [read Wells chapters 3, 5, 7]
3. (January 11) Review of Major Political and Military Leaders [read Wells chapters 9 and 11]
4. January 14) Review of the Period's Chronology [read Cameron LRE chapters 3 and 4]
5. (January 16) Lecture on Mediterranean before Augustus [read Cameron LRE chapter 6 and 7]
6. (January 18) Test on Background Information
7. (January 21) What is History?
8. January 23) Suetonius' Life of Augustus
9. (January 25) Res Gestae and the Augustan Revolution
10. (January 28) Lecture: the Principate
11. January 30) Succession from Augustus to Tiberius: Tacitus
12. (February 1) The Annona and the Lower Classes
13. (February 4) Caligula: Suetonius
14. (February 6) Nero and Decadence
15. (February 8) The Roman Empire from the Outside: Josephus
16. (February 11) Roman Slavery:
17. (February 13) Barbarians: Tacitus
18. (February 15) Roman Farming
19. (February 18) Lecture: Greco-Roman Medicine: Galen
20. (February 20) Domitian and the Dominate: Suetonius
21. (February 22) Lecture: Roman Architecture and Engineering
22. (February 25) Christianity from Various Perspectives (Pliny)
23. (February 27) Lecture: Politics and Sexuality in the Imperial Court
24. (March 1) Midterm
25. (March 11) Lecture: Roman Games
26. (March 13) Septimius Severus: Historia Augusta
27. (March 15) Severan Women: Cassius Dio
28. (March 18) Lecture: Mystery Religions (optional: review Third Century Emperors List)
29. (March 20) Diocletian: Barnes and Eusebius
30. (March 22) Constantine:Eusebius
31. (March 25) Julian on Himself: Misopogon
32. (March 27) Who Killed Julian: various readings
33. (March 29) What is Roman Civil War?
34. (April 1) Lecture: the Christian State [PROJECT DUE]
35. (April 3) Late Roman Warfare: Vegetius
36. (April 5) The Fall of Rome: City of God
37. (April 8) Lecture: Theodoric and German Kings
38. (April 10) Justinian's Warrior Belisarius
39. (April 12) Justinian's Secret Life: Secret History (see also Ravenna Mosaics)
40. (April 15 Lecture: Heraclius and the Big Fall
41. (April 17) Lecture: Holy Roman Empire and Beyond
April 22, 9 AM: FINAL EXAM

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Texts:

Colin Wells, The Roman Empire.
Averil Cameron, The Later Roman Empire, AD 284-430.
Averil Cameron, The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity, AD 395-600.
Chris Scarre, Penguin Historical Atlas of Rome.
Gore Vidal, Julian (optional).
All other readings are as linked here on this syllabus.
N.B. The instructor does not allow make up tests under any circumstances, nor does he accept late work.
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last changed 4/9/02