SJSU Roman History
Fall 2007, MW 10:30-11:45
Dr. Gaius Stern
Office: 561 Business Tower Office Hrs: M,W 12-1 pm
This course will try to cram two semesters of the history of the world’s Greatest Empire into one term. Our survey will hit as many high points as possible without losing a cohesive, chronological narrative of 1200 years from 753 BC to AD 476. In order to try to do this, the era after AD 180 will receive less attention in order to concentrate on our central theme: the roots and connections of our own American democracy with the experiences and crises that befell Rome. This is the very best reason to master Roman history. These topics include the positive and negative effects of imperialism, expansion of the vote, the threat of tyranny, the balance of civil rights, immigration, a cold war with a foreign superpower, the changing status of women, conspicuous consumption of goods to the deprivation of others, fixed elections, and civil war. At a certain point the Roman Republic collapsed under the divergent pressures pulling it. Was this a bad thing?
Using several primary sources in translation – Roman (or Greek) historians recounting contemporary history – and from discussion in class, students will be able to address the following “great questions” of Roman history:
• How much truth is there in the story of the founding of the Roman Republic?
• What factors led Rome to overcome Hannibal after so many great defeats?
• What was the official role of women in Roman society, why did this change, and to what extent was this similar to the role of women in the US?
• How did Rome conquer the Mediterranean so quickly?
• Why did Rome fall?
Other important questions should arise from these discussions that will draw upon primary and secondary source material. Students should come to class having read the assignments in advance and master thoroughly a primary source.
Textbooks This class will read as textbooks the following
• Course reader of selected ancient authors (Florus, Velleius, etc)
• Cassius Dio (a fraction of which Penguin published under a modern title)
• Plutarch, Parallel Lives (collected by Penguin under modern titles)
• polybius
• Sallust, The Jugerthine War, The War of the Catilinarian Conspiracy
• Suetonius The Twelve Caesars
Recommended, but not required
• Appuleius, The Golden Ass
• Plautus Menaechumus Brothers or Pseudolus or some other play
• Vergil, The Aeneid
Course Requirements
Two quizzes 20%, Midterm 20%, Final 25%, Participation 20%, Paper or Project 15%
The two quizzes will combine assigned reading and lecture material with geography. One will occur early in the term after a practice quiz, the second will probably follow the midterm. The Midterm and Final will employ the same style as the quizzes, but bigger. Class Participation includes both the back and forth in class and also the ability of each student to enlist the primary author(s) of their choice into their comments in class and written work in order to demonstrate an above average familiarity with that author. Students may choose to do a (pre-approved) class project or write a term paper for the class. The term papers are due on 1 December on pre-assigned topics. Class projects may take many forms including the following
• A performance of part of a Plautus play (in Roman masks) with a short analysis of Roman humor and discussion of the play in the context of the class.
• A large map (or website) of Roman Italy or Roman Gaul or Hispania with pictures/links of the Roman sites surviving today
• A suit of Roman armor and an explanation of Roman weaponry
• Writing your own pseudo-Plutarch (or pseudo-Suetonius) biography
Schedule
August 22 (W) Introduction, Roman calendar, Augustus
27 Aeneas and the Trojan legend, Romulus
read: *Ver. Aen. 1.1-296, 418-93, 4.752-901; Flor. 1.1, Liv. 1.1-10.
29 The Seven Kings of Rome, Etruscans,
read: *Liv. 1.11-20, Florus 1.I.2.1-1.V.11.4
Sept. 3 Labor Day Holiday
5 Veracity of early Roman history, Coriolanus, Decemviri, Cincinnatus
optional reading: *Liv. 2.38 ff, 3.26 ff.
10 Roman Government and political theory
read: *Polyb. 6.2-18, 51-56.
12 Camillus, Brennus and the Gauls, the drive across the peninsula
optional reading: *Flor. 1.VII.13.1-19
17 Pyrrhus: of elephants and other Greek things; Hellenism 101
read: *Plut. Pyrrhus, Flor. I.XIII.18.1-24
19 Rome and Carthage, the First Punic War
read: *Polyb. 1.1-4.5, 1.6-12, 1.16-37.1, 39-41, 49-64; optional: Flor. 1.18.1-37. Polyb. 3.27.
24 The coming of the Second Punic War (241-217 BC)
read: Plut. Marcellus, *Liv. 21,1-5.3, 18, 22; Polyb. 3.8-12.1, 13-15, 17, 20, 28-30, 33,
60-75; optional: *Liv. 21.42-47, 54-57.5; Polyb. 3.77.1-2, 78.1-2, 84-94, 106-07, 110.
26 Defeating Hannibal
read: Plut. Fabius, *Liv. 22.1-10, 44-50.1, 51, 57.3-61, 27.44-51, 30.30-37, 43 end - 45;
Polyb. 3.112-118, 6.58, 15.1-18; Flor. 1.21.
Oct. 1 Hellenism 202, Rome conquers the Greek East, Spain – Rome’s Vietnam
3 Roman literature 101 (Ennius, Cato, Plautus, Terrence, Polybius)
8 The Gracchi and the agrarian Crisis read Plut. Gaius Gracchus, Tiberius Gracchus
10 The Rise of Marius read Plut. Marius, Sallust Jugerthine War
15 The Sullan Reforms read Plut. Sulla
17 Roman Republican Literature 201 read: Sallust Catilinarian Conspiracy; Lucr. 4.1028-1287; Catullus 2, 11, 49, 101. Optional: Lucr. 1.489-1117, Cic. In Cat 1.
22 MIDTERM
24 Cicero, Cataline, and Crassus read Plut. Crassus, Cicero.
29 Julius and Pompey read Plut. Pompey.
31 The Roman Civil War , how and why read Plut. Caesar; Suet. Caesar
Nov. 5 The Ides of March, the Second Triumvirate, Philippi, Sextus Pompey, Actium
read: Plutarch, Brutus, *Vell. 2.57-66, 70-74, 77-80, 82-87.
7 Augustus and the Principate ( = new monarchy) read Dio. 53-55; Suet. Div. Aug.
12 Armistice Day Observed = Veteran’s Day Holiday
14 Tiberius and Caligula read Suet. Tiberius, Gaius Caligula
19 Claudius and Nero and the Year of 4 Emperors read Suet. Galba, Otho, Vitellius
21 Weds before Thanksgiving (expect no class if we are on time)
26 Roman Literature 301 (Vergil, Livy, Horace, Ovid)
read *Horace, Carpe Diem, “Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” Ode 3.5
28 Flavian Rome and Roman Literature 302 (Seneca, Tacitus, Pliny, Martial)
read *Martial Epigrams 1.47, 5.74, 6.66, 9.4, 9.68, 12.93.
Dec. 3 The Five Good Emperors, AD 96-180
5 The Severan Dynasty, AD 193-235
10 The Barracks Emperors to Constantine 235-337
12 (final class meeting) The Fall of Rome
Final Exam
Readings:
(Reader) Ver. Aen. 1.1-296, 418-93, 4.752-901; Flor. 1.1, Liv. 1.1-16
Florus 1.I.2.1-1.V.11.4
Cincinnatus from Livy
Camillus, Brennus and the Gauls Flor. 1.VII.13.1-19
12 The Samnite Wars and the drive across the peninsula Flor 1.XI.16.8-11 / Dio
17 Pyrrhus: of elephants and other Greek things; Hellenism 101
Plut. Pyrrhus, Flor. I.XIII.18.1-24;
19 Rome and Carthage, the First Punic War Flor. 1.18.1-37; Polyb. 1.1-4.5, 1.6-12, 1.16-37.1, 39-41, 49-64,
Constitution: Polyb. 6.2-18, 51-56
