History 330, The Rise of the Roman Empire

Course Description: Since the Hellenistic period of the Mediterranean and Near East collectively worshipped at the cult of powerful individuals, it seems appropriate to approach it by studying individuals. From Alexander the Great to Gaius Octavius (alias Augustus) we are presented with an astonishing string of megalomaniacal imperialists. It is only in this context that Rome's meteoric rise to prominence becomes comprehensible, and in this context that we can understand the decline of republican values that left autocratic rule of the whole empire in the hands of Alexander's highly self-conscious imitator, Julius Caesar. Therefore this course will concentrate on three topics: the tactics and careers of the most powerful and influential individuals; the biographical historiography arising around them; and the historical forces that led to and sustained such an autocratic period.

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 Walbank 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 The First Man in Rome.
  • World Wide Web page on a topic in the course.

Grading:

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

Schedule:

1. (January 11) Introduction to the Course.
2. (January 13) Review of Mediterranean Geography [read Walbank]
3. (January 15) Review of Essential Names [read Walbank]
4. (January 18) Review of the Period's Dateline[read Walbank]
5. (January 20) Lecture on Mediterranean before Alexander [read Walbank]
6. (January 22) Test on Background Information
7. (January 25) Greek Historiography: the tradition of historical self-consciousness from Herodotus to Polybius [read the prefaces to Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon's Cyropaedia, and Polybius in the coursepack]
8. (January 27) Lecture: Philip of Macedon and his Precedents
9. (January 29) Demosthenes, Isocrates and the Greek Debate on Macedon [read Demosthenes' Second Phillipic and Isocrates' to Philip in the coursepack]
10. (February 1) Alexander the Great: consolidation of power [read Plutarch's life of Alexander]
11. (February 3) Alexander the Great: military campaigns [lecture]
12. (February 5) Alexander the Great: tactics [read Engels in the coursepack]
13. (February 8) Alexander the Great: world "Hellenization" [prepare to discuss the Hellenistic dream of unification (see esp. Walbank and Plutarch's Alexander]
14. (February 10) Alexander the Great: "corruption" and death [read Arrian in the coursepack]
15. (February 12) Alexander's Followers: Demetrius [read Plutarch's Demetrius in the coursepack]
16. (February 15) Lecture: Alexandria
17. (February 17) Antiochus and Conflict with the Jews [read Macabees in the coursepack]
18. (February 19) Lecture: Hellenistic Scientific Achievements
19. (February 22) Midterm
20. (February 24) Origins of Rome [read Livy from beginning to the death of Tullus -- pp. 33-69 in the Penguin]
21. (February 26) Lucretia and the Birth of the Republic [read Livy to the end of book one -- pp. 69-101 in the Penguin]
22. (March 1) Camillus and the Second Founding of Rome [read Plutarch's life of Camillus]
23. (March 3) Lecture: Roman Origins and Myth
24. (March 5) Rome and its early Allies: the Latin Revolt [read Livy in the coursepack]
25. (March 15) Lecture: Origins of Carthage and Rise to Power
26. (March 17) Pyrrhic War [read Livy's epitome and Plutarch's Pyrrhus in the coursepack]
27. (March 19) The first Punic War [read Polybius -- class handout]
28. (March 22) The Second Punic War [read battle accounts in the coursepack]
29. (March 24) Marcellus and the Assault of Syracuse [read Plutarch's Marcellus]
30. (March 26) Flamininus and Roman Greece [read Plutarch's Flamininus]
31. (March 29) The Gracchi, Land Reform, and Violence [read Plutarch's Tiberius Gracchus]
32. (March 31) {PROJECT DUE} Lecture: Summary of the Roman Constitution and its Development
33. (April 2) Scipio Aemilianus: the poisoning [read Astin, Cicero and Appian in the coursepack]
34. (April 5) Lecture: Marius and Military Reform
35. (April 7) Sulla Rebuilds the Republic [read Plutarch's Sulla]
36. (April 9) Lecture: Pompey and Maius Imperium
37. (April 12) Caesar, Dicatator for Life [read Caesar and Suetonius in coursepack]
38. (April 14) Marc Antony and the Civil War [read Plutarch's Marc Antony]
39. (April 19) Cleopatra and the End of Macedonian Rule in Egypt [read Horace in the coursepack]
40. (April 21) Lecture: Gaius Octavius and a New Peace
41. (April 23) The Breakdown of the Roman Republic and dawn of the empire

Texts:

• F.W. Walbank, The Hellenistic World.
• Livy, The Early History of Rome.
• Plutarch, Parallel Lives.
• Stevenson, xeroxed course pack available in the campus bookstore.

Attendance: Since class participation is a significant graded percentage of this course, each class a student misses will detract from this grade. Several absences will not do permanent damage, but more than 8 (out of 42 meetings -- i.e. almost 20%) will be serious.

Honor Policy: Like any academic work at UR all work done for this course falls under the honor code. If you have any doubt what constitutes "unauthorized assistance," please come and talk to the instructor before trying it.

N.B. The instructor does not allow make up tests under any circumstances, nor does he accept late work.

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