History 223 Syllabus, Roman Imperial History 2010

History 223, The Roman and Early Byzantine Empire

Spring 2010
Dept. of History
University of Richmond
Walt Stevenson
NC 214 Office Hours: MW 2:30-3:30 (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 growing bureaucratic control. 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 centralized 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 Justinian 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/Mitchell 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
prove competence on 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: 30%
Final: 20%

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Schedule of Assignments:

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

1. (January 11) Introduction to the Course.
2. (January 13) Review of Mediterranean Geography [read Wells chapters 3, 5, 7]
3. (January 15) Mediterranean Before Rome [read Wells chapters 9 and 11]
4. January 18) Rome and the Hellenistic World [read Mitchell chapter 3]
5. (January 20) Epitome of Roman Imperial History [read Mitchell chapter 4]
6. (January 22) Test on Background Information
7. (January 25) What is History?
8. (January 27) Augustus' Biography: Suetonius' Life of Augustus
9. (January 29) Res Gestae and the Augustan Revolution
10. (February 1) Lecture: the Principate
11. (February 3) Succession from Augustus to Tiberius: Tacitus
12. (February 5) The Annona and the Lower Classes (see also piece on estimating population)
13. (February 8) Caligula: Suetonius
14. (February 10) Nero and Decadence
15. (February 12) Roman Slavery:
16. (February 15) The Roman Empire from the Outside: Josephus
17. (February 17) Barbarians: Tacitus
18. (February 19) Roman Farming
19. (February 22) Domitian and the Dominate: Suetonius
20. (February 24) Lecture: Greco-Roman Medicine: Galen
21. (February 26) Christianity from Various Perspectives (Luke and Pliny)
22. (March 1) Septimius Severus: Historia Augusta
23. (March 3) Lecture: Politics and Sexuality in the Imperial Court
24. (March 5) Midterm
25. (March 15) Lecture: Roman Games
26. (March 17) Severan Women: Cassius Dio
27. (March 19) Lecture: Mystery Religions (optional: review Third Century Emperors List)
28. (March 22) Diocletian: Barnes and Eusebius
29. (March 24) Constantine:Eusebius, and Lactantius
30. (March 26) Julian on Himself: Misopogon
31. (March 29) Who Killed Julian: various readings
32. (March 31) Lecture: Roman Architecture and Engineering
33. (April 2) The Byzantine Court and John Chrysostom: Sozomen's Ecclesiastic History Book 8
34. (April 5) Lecture: the Christian State [PROJECT DUE]
35. (April 7) Late Roman Warfare: Vegetius
36. (April 9) The Fall of Rome: City of God
37. (April 12) Lecture: Theodoric and Gothic Kings
38. (April 14) Justinian's Warrior Belisarius: Procopius' Wars
39. (April 16) Justinian's Court: Procopius' Secret History (see also Ravenna Mosaics)
40. (April 19) Lecture: Justinian's Eastern Policy
41. (April 21) Lecture: Heraclius and the Big Fall
42. (April 23) Lecture: Byzantine/Holy Roman Empire and Beyond
April 28, 2:00 PM: FINAL EXAM

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Texts:

Colin Wells, The Roman Empire.
Mitchell, Stephen, A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-641: The Transformation of the Ancient World.
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 April 26, 2010