History 223, The Roman and Early Byzantine Empire

Spring 2022

Course Description: Rome's imperial period traditionally begins with the princeps Augustus consolidating an empire stretching from Spain to Persia, Ethiopia to Russia, under attempted 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 vision for a 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."

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 (or another novel approved by the instructor).
  • 5 page critical review of a scholarly book (instructor's approval required).

Grading:

• Test: 10%
• Class Participation: 20%
• Midterm: 20%
• Project: 30%
• Final: 20%

Schedule of Assignments:

• 1. (January 10) Introduction to the Course.
• 2. (January 12) Review of Mediterranean Geography [read Wells chapters 3, 5, 7]
• 3. (January 14) Mediterranean Before Rome [read Wells chapters 9 and 11]
• 4. (January 17) Martin Luther King Day -- NO CLASS
• 5. (January 19) Rome and the Hellenistic World [read Mitchell chapters 3 and 4]
• 6. (January 21) Test on Background Information
• 7. (January 24) What is History?
• 8. (January 26) Augustus' Biography: Suetonius' Life of Augustus
• 9. (January 28) Res Gestae and the Augustan Revolution
• 10. (January 31) Lecture on the Principate
• 11. (February 2) Succession from Augustus to Tiberius: Tacitus
• 12. (February 4) The Annona and the Lower Classes (see also piece on estimating population)
• 13. (February 7) Caligula: Suetonius
• 14. (February 9) Nero
• 15. (February 11) The Roman Empire from the Outside: Josephus
• 16. (February 14) Roman Slavery
• 17. (February 16) Barbarians: Tacitus
• 18. (February 18) Domitian and the Dominate: Suetonius
  
• 19. (February 21) Christianity from Various Perspectives (Luke and Pliny)
  
• 20. (February 23) Lecture: Mystery Religions
• 21. (February 25) Septimius Severus: Historia Augusta, (optional: review Third Century Emperors List)
  
• 22. (February 28) Severan Women: Cassius Dio
• 23. (March 2) Review for Midterm
• 24. (March 4) Midterm
  
• 25. (March 14) Lecture: Roman Games
  
• 26. (March 16) Diocletian: Barnes and Eusebius
• 27. (March 18) Constantine:Eusebius, and Lactantius
• 28. (March 21) Julian on Himself: Misopogon
• 29. (March 23) Who Killed Julian: various readings
• 30. (March 25) Lecture: Roman Architecture and Engineering
• 31. (March 28) Lecture: the Christian State [PROJECT DUE]
• 32. (March 30) Constantius' Mission? (Philostorgius 3.4, Athanasius Apology to Constantius 31, Codex Theodosianus 12.12.2)
• 33. (April 1) The Byzantine Court and John Chrysostom: Sozomen's Ecclesiastic History Book 8 Chapters 1-6, 8, 9, 16, 20, 27,28.
• 34. (April 4) Late Roman Warfare: Vegetius
• 35. (April 6) The Fall of Rome: City of God
• 36. (April 8) Lecture: Theodoric and Gothic Kings
• 37. (April 11) Justinian's Warrior Belisarius: Procopius' Wars
• 38. (April 13) Justinian's Court: Procopius' Secret History (see also Ravenna Mosaics)
• 39. (April 15) Lecture: Justinian's Eastern Policy
• 40. (April 18) Lecture: Heraclius and the Big Fall
• 41. (April 20) Lecture: Byzantine/Holy Roman Empire and Beyond
• 42. (April 22) Review for Final Exam
• April 27, 2:00 PM: FINAL EXAM

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 or available on blackboard.

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 January 7, 2022