History 223, The Roman and Early Byzantine Empire

Spring 2024

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 17) Introduction to the Course.
• 2. (January 19) Review of Mediterranean Geography [read Wells chapters 3, 5, 7]
• 3. (January 22) Mediterranean Before Rome [read Wells chapters 9 and 11]
• 4. (January 24) Rome and the Hellenistic World [read Mitchell chapters 3]
• 5. (January 26) Overview of Roman History [read Mitchell chapters 4]
• 6. (January 29) Test on Background Information
• 7. (January 31) What is History?
• 8. (February 2) Augustus' Biography: Suetonius' Life of Augustus
• 9. (February 5) Res Gestae and the Augustan Revolution
• 10. (February 7) Lecture on the Principate
• 11. (February 9) Succession from Augustus to Tiberius: Tacitus
• 12. (February 12) The Annona and the Lower Classes (see also piece on estimating population)
• 13. (February 14) Caligula: Suetonius
• 14. (February 16) Nero
• 15. (February 19) The Roman Empire from the Outside: Josephus
• 16. (February 21) Roman Slavery
• 17. (February 23) Barbarians: Tacitus
• 18. (February 26) Domitian and the Dominate: Suetonius
  
• 19. (February 28) Christianity from Various Perspectives (Luke and Pliny)
  
• 20. (March 1) Lecture: Mystery Religions
• 21. (March 4) Septimius Severus: Historia Augusta
  
• 22. (March 6) Severan Women: Cassius Dio
• 23. (March 8) Midterm
  
• 24. (March 18) Lecture: Roman Games
  
• 25. (March 20) Diocletian: Barnes and Eusebius
• 26. (March 22) Constantine:Eusebius, and Lactantius
• 27. (March 25) Julian on Himself: Misopogon
• 28. (March 27) Who Killed Julian: various readings
• 29. (March 29) Lecture: Roman Architecture and Engineering
• 30. (April 1) Lecture: the Christian State [PROJECT DUE]
• 31. (April 3) Constantius' Mission? (Philostorgius 3.4, Athanasius Apology to Constantius 31, Codex Theodosianus 12.12.2)
• 32. (April 5) The Byzantine Court and John Chrysostom: Sozomen's Ecclesiastic History Book 8 Chapters 1-6, 8, 9, 16, 20, 27, 28.
• 33. (April 8) Late Roman Warfare: Vegetius
• 34. (April 10) The Fall of Rome: City of God
• 35. (April 12) Lecture: Theodoric and Gothic Kings
• 36. (April 15) Justinian's Warrior Belisarius: Procopius' Wars
• 37. (April 17) Justinian's Court: Procopius' Secret History (see also Ravenna Mosaics)
• 38. (April 19) Lecture: Justinian's Eastern Policy
• 39. (April 22) Lecture: Heraclius and the Big Fall
• 40. (April 24) Guest Lecture: Post Roman Empire in the Iberian Peninsula
• 41. (April 26) Review for Final Exam
• May 1, 9:00 AM: 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 9, 2024