Clas146: INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN CIVILIZATION
Mon, Wed, Fri 10.10-11.00 in Cohen 203
e-mail: daniel.p.solomon@vanderbilt.edu
Office hours: Mon and Tue 1.10-2.00; or by appointment, in Cohen 303 (tel.: [32]2-3303)
Required texts:
1) Jones & Sidwell, The World of Rome (Cambridge. 1997).
2) R. Mellor, The Historians of Ancient Rome (Routledge. 2004). If you have a used copy of the 1st edition,
please note that the page numbers are different; follow syllabus citation carefully.
3) Virgil, The Aeneid: a New Prose Translation (tr. West) (Penguin. 2003). Any prior or alternative version is
fine, as long as it it provides verse numbers, to which you will have to refer instead of the page numbers assigned on the
syllabus.
4) Plutarch, Roman Lives (tr. Waterfield) (Oxford. 1999).
5) Class Pak, available from Campus Copy.
Please bring to each class all assigned texts, which we will be consulting together extensively.
Objectives:
This course aims to provide the broadest possible overview to the civilization of ancient Rome. In considering political, social,
and cultural developments between the 8th century BC and the 4th century AD, we shall be asking how helpful it is to posit a distinct and
unchanging Roman "identity." To this end, we will distinguish between four separate phases of Roman history; for each of these, we will
compare primary and secondary documents (that is, how they said they lived and how later generations thought their ancestors had
lived). Romans' outlooks over the centuries changed in some respects but remained consistent in others; by the end of the semester, we
will have explored the values that inspired them, and we will better understand the various manifestations of their ideals, whether in
artistic achievements, public policies or private interactions.
Your quizzes and exams should above all else show educated criticism of our sources, so that you may reach a conclusion for
yourselves as to what made the Romans essentially "Roman." Throughout this semester we will try to abstain from passing value
judgments, whether on the excesses of Roman cruelty or on the benefits of Roman empire. Feel free to form your own sympathies or
antipathies, but the whole point of Classics 146 is to present the Romans, both as a society and as individuals, in all their complex and
contradictory aspects. Our fascination with them rests primarily on the wealth of documentation they left us, of which you will be given
a range of representative samples. You will leave this course with your own feelings on the worthiness of Romans to rule, based on their
own record.
Either way, there is only so much we can do in class to deal with a course of this range and magnitude; I hope you will feel
free to contact me outside of class, either by e-mail or in person, to discuss any doubts, concerns, or unresolved issues. The ultimate
purpose of this course is not to give answers but to learn how to pose the right unanswerable questions, and to consider arguments and
counterarguments for every suggestion. However frustrating such a task may initially appear, it is our research into the human
experience that teaches us how we function as individuals within a collective. By searching for themes and clues as to what made 2,000year-old Romans tick, we will gain further insight into our own sense of identity - whether national, ethnic, political, religious, or any
other way in which we choose to define ourselves.
Happy hunting!
Requirements and Grading:
1) Participation in class (10 %): this grade reflects not only your attendance and classroom contribution but also the
effort you put into this course. The relatively short core readings for each session are crucial to developing collective
discussion of each topic (the alternative is sitting through an hour lecture by me...). The textbooks are general repositories
of information: class notes will be essential to navigating them!
2) Id quiz (5%), on Jan. 29. Ten minutes, starting at 10.10 sharp. I will choose five, you complete two.
3) Midterm exam (20%), on Feb. 24: entire class period: ids and selection of seen essays.
4) c. 1,250 word paper (30%) due in class April 11: compare some aspect of Rome to non-Rome, whether modern or
ancient. See further info on the guidelines link on OAK.
5) Final Exam (35%) on Tuesday, April 29, at 9 am.
An alternate Final will be offered on Wednesday, April 23, at noon.
!!! These policies and requirements are final: no extra credit will be offered.
Grading scale:
Points are scored out of a total of 100: the top ten constitute the "A" range, the next ten the "B" range, and so
forth. The letter is accompanied by "+" or "-" if your score falls within the top or bottom 3 points of each range. Thus, e.g.,
87-89= B+ ; 83-86 = B ; 80-82 = B- .
Schedule: (textbooks: WR = The World of Rome; H = The Historians of Ancient Rome; CP = Class
Pak; Plut = Plutarch, Roman Lives; Aeneid = Aeneid: A New Prose Translation)
Please note that citations in WR and Plut refer to chapters, NOT pages.
Study questions are in Arial; identification terms for exams are in Geneva
WEEK ONE
Mon January 6
Introduction: survey of Roman history; conservatism and "progressivism"
NO READING ASSIGNMENT
Wed January 8
Foundation of Rome: fabula as history; archeological evidence
Aeneas, Romulus and Numa as complementary founders: Livy, 1.1-15 (H, pp. 172-84); Livy,
1.18-21 (CP, pp. 1-4) [origins of city and monarchy: skim WR, 1-11].
According to WR, what was so unique about the Romans' foundation myths?
According to Livy, why did the Italian king Latinus welcome Aeneas and his Trojan refugees?
Who raised Romulus and Remus? What kind of upbringing did the boys receive?
Why did the neighboring nations make war on Rome almost as soon as it was founded?
How did Numa's priorities differ from those of Romulus?
Aeneas; Romulus’ childhood; Romulus as king; Numa
Fri January 10
Etruscan domination and defamation
Tarquinius Priscus vs. Servius Tullius: Livy, 1.34-48 (H, pp. 186-99).
According to Livy (par. 34), why did Lucumo move to Rome?
How similarly does Livy characterize Tanaquil and Tullia?
How did Tarquinius Priscus manage to succeed Ancus Marcius as king?
What was Tarquinius Priscus' motivation for his building program?
In par. 36, how did Tarquinius Priscus respond to Attus Naevius' warnings?
How does Livy compare Tarquinius Priscus to his successor, Servius?
Tanaquil; Tarquinius Priscus’ building program; Servius Tullius’ census
WEEK TWO
Mon January 13
Republican revolution and constitution
the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus and the revolt of Lucius Brutus: WR, 12; Livy, 1.49-60 (H, pp.
199-205); from kings to consuls: WR, 13-15, 130-35; imperium: 118-20.
What was different from Tarquinius Priscus about Tarquinius Superbus' rise to power?
What was different from Tarquinius Priscus about Tarquinius Superbus' dealings with the Senate once in power?
How does Livy portray Lucretia as the opposite of typical Etruscan women?
Under the new constitution of the Roman Republic, what was the main function of the consuls?
How similar and how different were consuls to kings?
What was the official function of a dictator?
Tarquinius Superbus; Lucretia’s virtue; consuls; dictator; imperium
Wed January 15
Extra-constitutional safeguards: formation of a ruling class
Conflict of the Orders: WR, 16-23; tribunes of the plebs: WR, 137; censors as supervisors: WR,
139-41; popular assemblies: 158-64; auctoritas of the Senate: 166-72.
Why did the tribunes of the plebs have so much influence over Roman politics?
What was the original role of the Roman censors?
Why did the censors have so much influence over Roman politics? What powers did they have over Senators in
particular?
What kind of concessions did plebeians extract from patricians during the "Conflict of the Orders" between 494 and
287 BC?
At least in theory, what was the official role of the Roman Senate in the Roman Republic?
tribunes of the plebs; censors; Senate; auctoritas
Fri January 17
Public religion: State prescriptions for ensuring material prosperity
survey: Appendix 1 (CP, pp. 47-51); ritual triumph: WR, 121-26; piety: Polybius, 6.56 (H, pp. 61-62)
Why was complex religious ritual so important to Roman religion?
What is the difference between pietas and cultus?
What do Cato the Elder’s prayers ask from the gods?
What was an evocatio, and how does it make the gods seem like powerful human leaders? Read Macrobius’ prayer
carefully.
Whom was a military general leading a ceremonial "triumph" supposed to represent?
cultus; pietas; evocatio
WEEK THREE
MLK Day: no classes
Mon January 20
Wed January 22
Expansion of Roman horizons: Italy, Carthage, the Mediterranean
Romanization: WR, 24-33; war against Hannibal: Livy, 21.1-2, 22.50-51 (H, pp. 242-43, 275-77)
Why did Rome extend grants of citizenship to most conquered Italian cities? How diluted was the Roman
citizenship of these Italian municipia?
What was the definition of a provincia in Latin, and how did this change after 227 BC?
How did Rome justify the decision to declare the First Punic War on Carthage?
According to Livy, 22.51, why was Hannibal reluctant to march on Rome after his crushing victory at Cannae?
Why was the Battle of Zama a turning point in the history of Roman expansionism?
municipia; Punic Wars; Hannibal; Battle of Cannae; Battle of Zama
Fri January 24
Rome vs. Greece: cultural imports and conservative backlash
Greece “liberated”: WR, 34-42; Livy, 33.30-33 (H, pp. 299-301); Greek and Roman values: WR,
378-79; moral decline: Sallust, 6-13 (H, pp. 84-88).
What was the Roman stereotype of Greeks?
Why did the Third Macedonian War mark a turning point in the history of Roman imperialism?
How does Pliny’s letter (WR, 379) represent a moderate view? What is positive and what is negative about his
assumptions regarding Greeks?
How was Flamininus' "liberation speech" received by the Greeks in 196 BC?
According to Sallust, what effect did the Battle of Zama have on the moral fabric of the traditional Roman
character?
T. Quinctius Flamininus
WEEK FOUR
Mon January 27
Expansion of Roman ethics: Cato the Elder
Cato: WR, 43-44; Plut, "Cato": skim whole bio but see esp. 1-4, 12, 16-20, 22-23, 25-27;
lex Oppia: Livy, 34.1-8 (H, pp. 304-12).
How do the first four chapters of his biography establish Cato as a traditional Roman?
According to Plutarch, why was Cato different from all other politicians? Who were his enemies?
How differently did Cato feel about Greek culture than Pliny did?
Over his forty years at the forefront of Roman politics, what laws/measures/reforms can you find that Cato
sponsored?
According to Livy's account, why did Cato speak against the repeal of the lex Oppia?
Why was the lex Oppia in fact repealed (see last page of H assignment)?
lex Oppia; gravitas; Cato vs. patricians; Cato vs. Greeks.
Wed January 29
Id quiz
The dawn of Roman literature: tragedy and comedy
[bias and adaptations: skim WR, 428-38] first examples: Ennius and Terence (CP, pp. 5-10).
What differences to you spot between the corresponding Medea passages of Ennius and Euripides, especially in
the second passage?
In what way does Terence construct Demea as the complete opposite of Micio?
Who turns out to be the better son between Aeschinus and Ctesipho?
Why does Demea change his mind in the second part of the play?
Who ultimately prevails between Demea and Micio? How does the message here reinforce Roman vs. Greek
values?
Demea vs. Micio in Brothers
Fri January 31
WEEK FIVE
Patronage, rhetoric, and social mobility
[“new men”: skim WR, 66-68; 142-49] new techniques: Cicero (CP, pp. 11-16).
What was so progressive - and potentially subversive - about the Handbook Ad Herennium?
In the first section of his speech For Caelius, how does Cicero differentiate between Atratinus and Clodia?
What kind of a father-figure does Cicero personify when speaking as the famous censor Claudius Caecus ("the
Blind")?
How different is the father-figure that Cicero adopts in addressing Caelius than in addressing Clodia?
In his closing arguments (CP, p. 16), what ploy does Cicero borrow from Servius Galba (CP, p. 11)?
Where do you find traditional Roman values employed to Cicero's advantage throughout speech?
Cicero's defense of Caelius; Handbook Ad Herennium("For Herennius").
The plight of the poor
populism of the Gracchi: WR, 45-49; Plut, "Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus" (all).
Mon February 3
What was the primary demand of Tiberius Gracchus?
Why did his fellow tribune Marcus Octavius object?
Who led the suppression of Tiberius and his followers? What was his political office?
How did his brother Gaius expand on Tiberius' platform?
Who led the suppression of Gaius and his followers? What was his political office?
populares; optimates; Tiberius Gracchus; Publius Nasica; Gaius Gracchus; Lucius Opimius
Rise of Marius in the army
Marius and the army: WR, 50-52 [skim 173-77]; career: Plut, "Marius," 2-3, 7-12, 28-33.
Wed February 5
Fri February 7
Why was Jugurtha so successful against the Roman optimates military leaders that were sent out to confront him,
including Lucius Opimius?
Why did the Senate refuse to finance Marius’ campaign against Jugurtha? What did they have against him?
How did Marius circumvent the Senate?
How did Marius change the relationship between soldiers and their Commander-in-Chief?
Which military campaign after that against Jugurtha made Marius the most popular man in Rome?
Jugurtha; Marius as a general
Fall of Marius in politics
Social War and the rise of Sulla as invader and dictator: WR, 56-60; Plut, "Marius," 34-35 [skim
"Sulla," 1-3, 30-38]; Marius' reign of terror in Sulla's absence: Plut,"Marius," 43-45.
According to Plutarch's biography of Marius, why did Marius lose in the 90s the popularity he had gained in the
100s BC?
Which aspects of Marius' character does Plutarch portray as particularly unsuited to Roman politics?
For what specific grievance did Sulla take the unprecedented step of marching his troops on Rome?
In WR, 56-60, who was the main beneficiary of Sulla’s reforms while dictator in 81 BC?
See the ending of Plutarch’s biography for Sulla’s lavish funeral: why do you think Romans paid him such a tribute?
Marius as a politician; Sulla
WEEK SIX
Mon February 10
Pompey "the Great": imperium maius proconsulare
military rise: WR, 61-65; Plut, "Pompey," 21-25; 30 [Pompey’s extraordinary provincia: skim WR,
150-52]; political decline: WR, 69-71; Plut, "Pompey," 43-54.
What was so unprecedented about Pompey's imperium against the pirates in 67 BC?
Why was Pompey obliged to seek an alliance with Caesar and Crassus against the Senate in 60 BC?
How did Pompey try to counter the rising popularity of Julius Caesar in the 50s BC?
How does Plutarch portray Pompey's confrontations with Clodius as revealing Pompey's political inadequacies?
Why would Crassus want to attack the Parthians in 53 BC?
In general, what overlap do you find between the successes and failures of Pompey and Marius?
Pompey's imperium; Pompey as a politician; First Triumvirate; Cato the Younger;
Battle of Carrhae
Wed February 12
Clash of values: Cato the Younger vs Caesar
rise of Caesar: Plut, "Caesar," 1-5; 15-18; Caesar’s industria over Cato the Younger’s gravitas:
Sallust, 50-54 (H, pp. 104-11).
According to Plutarch, which qualities of Julius Caesar particularly impressed Romans at the start of his career?
How do sections 15-18 of the biography present the relationship between Caesar and his troops?
What do you find that is so progressive about Julius Caesar’s speech regarding Catiline’s co-conspirators (in
Sallust)?
What do you find, on the other hand, in that speech that is conservative?
How does Cato’s reply try to evoke both the memory and persona of his illustrious great-grandfather?
industria
Republican private literature of the fifties
[principles of composition: skim WR, 442-47]; love poetry: Catullus (CP, pp.17-20).
Fri February 14
What do you think is so un-Roman about Catullus’ literary statements in poems #1 and #95?
In poem #8, how does Catullus respond to rejection?
How does the conclusion to Sappho's poem differ from the conclusion to Catullus' imitation, #51?
How does poem #11 in particular undermine the poet’s own masculinity?
How does poem #83 undermine the moral high ground that Catullus claims for himself in other poems?
In general, how do all of Catullus’ poems serve to parody traditional Roman values?
Catullus’ otium; Lesbia
WEEK SEVEN
Julius Caesar: a New Roman Hero
Plut, "Caesar": invasion of Italy: 28-34; battle of Pharsalus: 40-46; Cato's optimates vs. Caesar's
Mon February 17 populares: 54-69; WR, 72-73.
According to Plutarch (28-34) how did Cato win over Pompey to the optimates' side?
According to Plutarch (40-46), by what strategy did Caesar prevail at the battle of Pharsalus, despite having less
than half of Pompey’s numbers?
According to WR and Plutarch (58-59), what legislation did Julius Caesar pass as dictator?
According to Plutarch (60-61), what turned many Romans against Julius Caesar as dictator?
According to WR, why did Julius Caesar's offer of an amnesty (clementia) backfire?
battle of Pharsalus; Julius Caesar's dictatorship
Death throes of the Republic: Second Triumvirate and Cleopatra
WR, 74-78; Plut, "Antony," 16-29, 50-54; 58; 66.
Wed February 19
Who were Antony and Octavian with respect to Julius Caesar?
Why was the Second Triumvirate so different in its political influence from the First?
Why does Plutarch disapprove of Antony's relationship with Cleopatra?
How did the behavior of Octavia - Antony's wife and Octavian's sister - serve to further damage Antony's
reputation?
According to Plutarch (66), what was the decisive moment during the Battle of Actium?
Second Triumvirate; Antonius (Antony); Roman perceptions of Cleopatra;
Battle of Actium
Escapism through poetry
Virgil, Eclogue 4, and Horace, Epode 16 (CP, pp. 21-23); reread Catullus (CP, pp. 17-20)
Fri February 21
In Virgil's Eclogue 4, what will happen to the world when the "boy" becomes a "man"?
What human activities does Virgil portray as representative of human sin?
What is the only remedy to the crisis of civil war that Horace can propose in Epode 16?
Which features of Horace’s utopia do you find that resemble Virgil's in Eclogue 4?
Why is the social commentary of both Horace's and Virgil's poems more pessimistic than Catullus'?
social commentary of Eclogue 4; social commentary of Epode 16
Midterm Exam #1 (bring blue book)
WEEK EIGHT
Mon February 24
Wed February 26
Augustus’ “restoration” of the Republic
timeline: Appendix 2a (CP, p. 50); WR, 79; 81, 153-56; campaigns: WR, 87-88; balancing act
between Senate, army, and equites: WR, 187-92.
When Octavian resigned his powers to the Senate in 27 BC, how was he compensated? Which powers did he
retain?
In Cassius Dio's CP account of the "First Settlement," what reasons does Octavian give for resigning his powers to
the Senate?
Which two magistracies did Octavian - now called Augustus - then assume in 23 BC in order to maintain absolute
power without having to be named dictator?
What role was left for the Senate under Augustus? How did their power both increase and decrease?
What positions did Augustus create for equites?
How did Augustus do more than his predecessors to professionalize the Roman army?
tribunicia potestas; imperium pro consule; Augustan Military Treasury
Fri February 28
Augustus' spin
Achievements (H, pp. 322-30); “First Settlement:” Cassius Dio (CP, pp. 24-25); "Augustus": WR, 80;
Suetonius, Life of Augustus, 7 (H, p. 382); Tacitus' cynicism: Tacitus, Annals, 1.1-2 (H, pp. 451-52).
How does Augustus portray his seizure of power at the start of his Achievements?
How does Augustus describe the extent of his power at the end of his Achievements?
What general practice does Augustus boast of in Achievements, 15-18 and 22-23?
What are the full connotations of the term augustus (follow Suetonius more than WR here)?
How does Tacitus provide a more critical assessment of Augustus’ career?
augustus; Augustus’ Achievements
Spring Break
March 1-9
Augustus’ “refoundation of the Republic”
Augustan image: reread Achievements, 7, 19-21; lex Julia: WR, 322-24; CP, p. 26; new anthem:
WEEK NINE
Mon March 10
Horace, Secular Hymn (.pdf on OAK).
How many temples does Augustus claim to have restored in Achievements, 19-21?
What incentives and penalties were prescribed by the lex Julia in order to encourage marriage and children?
Where do you see the influence of the lex Julia on Horace’s “Secular Hymn”?
What are the main images through which this “Secular Hymn” tries to illustrate Augustus’ new Rome?
How does Horace use Aeneas (the "scion of Anchises") to forge a connection with Augustus?
Horace's "Secular Hymn"; lex Julia
Augustus’ manipulation of the visual arts
Ara Pacis Altar of Peace (.pdf on OAK); “Prima Porta” portrait of Augustus (.pdf on OAK).
Wed March 12
On the Ara Pacis, whom does the central goddess represent?
On the Ara Pacis, which imagery is picked up from Horace's "Secular Hymn"?
Which historical event did the "statue of Augustus from Prima Porta" commemorate?
Which aspects of the statue suggest that Augustus himself may be somewhat divine?
Who are the divine figures at the top and at the bottom of the breastplate?
Ara Pacis; "Prima Porta" portrait
Fri March 14
WEEK TEN
Mon March 17
Augustus’ manipulation of the literary arts
influence on poetry: Horace, Odes, 1-3 (CP, pp. 27-30).
What is Horace's approach to life in the first two poems given in Book 1 of his Odes?
How is Cleopatra characterized in Ode 1.37?
Why does Horace refuse to write an epic celebration of Agrippa and Augustus in Ode 1.6?
How does Ode 2.7 serve to defuse tensions from the civil war?
What main difference do you find between the first and the second halves of Ode 3.14?
Horace's otium; recusatio
Augustus and Aeneas at the beginning of the Aeneid
what we expect: beginnings of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey (.jpg on OAK); Aeneas vs. Juno: Aeneid,
Book 1 (pp. 3-24) [for background, consult Aeneid, intro (pp. x-xxxvi) and Chart 2 on CP, p. 56].
What specifically does Virgil ask of his "Muse" in the beginning verses of his Aeneid (1.1-34)?
How is Aeneas first characterized at 1.82-103?
At 1.224-296, how do Jupiter’s words reassure Aeneas' worried mother, Venus?
How much comfort does Venus offer Aeneas when they appear in their first exchange at 1.315-409?
Why is Dido so friendly to Aeneas and his Trojans?
Venus in the Aeneid; Jupiter’s prophecy
Trojans vs. Greeks – and Romans
Aeneid, Book 2 (pp. 25-47).
Wed March 19
Why do the gods kill Laocoon and his two sons?
What was Laocoon's relationship to Neptune?
How are the Trojans characterized differently from the Greeks?
How does Aeneas first react when he realizes the Greeks are taking over Troy?
At the end of Book 2, whom of his family does Aeneas lead successfully to safety?
death of Laocoon; Aeneas in Troy (Book 2); pietas of Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas as tragic heroine vs. pious hero
hero vs. temptress in Homer (.jpg on OAK); Aeneas' choice: Aeneid 4.1-361 (pp. 69-79).
Fri March 21
Which aspects of Dido's behavior in the beginning of Book 4 characterize her as impulsive and obsessive?
What is the effect of Dido's relationship with Aeneas upon the other Carthaginians?
Why does Aeneas decide to leave Dido?
What arguments does Dido use to persuade him to stay?
What arguments does Aeneas use to justify his decision to her?
A Roman audience would have expected Virgil to portray Aeneas like Homer’s Odysseus in resisting Dido’s
temptation; how does Virgil undermine this expectation?
Aeneas' speech to Dido in Book 4
WEEK ELEVEN
Dido’s reaction
Aeneid, rest of Book 4 (pp. 79-89).
Mon March 24
How is Aeneas portrayed at verses 393-98? What are the positive and negative connotations of “faithful to his
duty”?
How do the Trojans react to Aeneas’ decision to leave Dido?
To what is Aeneas compared at verses 440-49?
How does Dido change from the first to the second half of Book 4?
Are Mercury’s words justified at verses 560-71?
Why does Juno need to intervene at the end of the book?
Dido as Cleopatra
Aeneas’ transition
Aeneid, Book 6 (pp. 115-40).
Wed March 27
In Book 6, how does Dido respond to Aeneas' apology?
In Book 6, what do the ghosts whom Anchises points out to Aeneas all have in common?
What is the general tone of Anchises' main speech at 757-854?
Why does Anchises end his presentation with a tribute to Marcellus, Augustus’ recently deceased nephew?
What is the effect of Anchises' speech upon Aeneas?
Aeneas' journey to the Underworld
Fri March 29
WEEK TWELVE
Mon March 31
Wed April 2
Aeneid as the story of civil war
impious beginning of the war: Aeneid, 7.1-641 (pp. 141-59); future site of Rome and Aeneas’ new
shield: 8 (pp. 165-86).
Who is primarily responsible for instigating the war between Trojans and Italians in Book 7?
What is the one event in Book 7 that finally sparks the opening of hostilities?
In Book 8, what help does Evander provide Aeneas for the upcoming war?
Why do the Arcadians pay tribute to Hercules?
What are the images engraved upon Aeneas' Shield at the end of Book 8?
How do the last verses of Book 8 mark Aeneas as a Roman hero?
Allecto; Juno in the Aeneid
Aeneid as an ambiguous religious statement
assembly of the gods: 10.1-117 (pp. 211-14); virtue of Aeneas: 11.100-32 (p. 241); tragic conclusion:
Book 12 (pp. 264-90).
In Book 10, how does Jupiter adjudicate between the claims of Venus and Juno?
In the assigned passage of Book 11, how does Aeneas respond to the Italian requests for peace?
In the beginning of Book 12, how do Latinus and Amata behave towards Turnus?
How does Jupiter reach a compromise with Juno at the end of Book 12?
What is the last impression Virgil gives us of Aeneas?
Turnus
Tiberius: no place for a Republican
accession: WR, 89 [cf. Chart 2 on CP, p. 56 and Appendix 2b on p. 52]; tensions with Senate: WR,
90, 188; Tiberius, Germanicus, and Sejanus: WR, 91-93; Tacitus, Annals, 1.11-33, 1.72-75, 2.69-73,
3.1-6, 4.1-12 (H, pp. 457-60, 469-75, 481-87).
Whom did Augustus choose to succeed him before settling on Tiberius?
In Tacitus’ account, why did the Senators not believe Tiberius when he promised to give them more power?
Why was Germanicus more popular than Tiberius?
Why did Tiberius’ restrained reaction to Germanicus’ death make him even more unpopular?
In Book 4, to what aspects of Tiberius' early reign does Tacitus pay tribute?
Tacitus' portrayal of Tiberius; Germanicus
Nero’s populism
Nero’s reign: WR, 98-100; Annals, 13.1-15.44 (H, pp. 499-514).
Fri April 4
According to WR, what did Roman aristocrats find most offensive about Nero as emperor?
According to Tacitus, how did Nero treat those who had lost their homes in the "Great Fire" of 64?
According to Tacitus, why did the plebeians riot in favor of Octavia?
According to Tacitus, what did Romans find offensive about Nero's "Golden Palace"?
Why did Nero embark upon a tour of Greece that lasted almost two years, in 66-68?
Nero's Domus Aurea ("Golden Palace"); Nero's tour of Greece
Stoicism and the conservative reaction
Seneca and Lucan (CP, pp. 31-38); WR, 387.
WEEK THIRTEEN
How does Seneca in CP illustrate that traditional Roman religion is in decline?
Mon April 7
Wed April 9
Why does Seneca admire Cato the Younger?
How does Lucan portray Cato the Younger in the one speech he gets in CP?
How does Lucan contrast Julius Caesar with Pompey?
How does Lucan portray Julius Caesar after the Battle of Pharsalus?
Lucan's figure of Cato; Lucan's figure of Julius Caesar
2nd-century pax Romana: Trajan's wars…
law on the imperium of Vespasian (CP, p. 39); integration of Western Empire: WR, 102-07,
112-14; Tacitus, Agricola, 19-21 (H, pp. 437-38); Trajan's micromanagement: Pliny
(CP, pp. 40-41)
What was so unprecedented about Vespasian’s lex de imperio Vespasiani?
How were relations between Trajan and the Senate?
How does Tacitus in CP overlap with WR in describing Romanization of the provinces?
In letters 33 and 96 in CP, what requests to Trajan does Pliny make as governor of Bithynia?
lex de imperio Vespasiani; Trajan's foreign policy; Trajan’s domestic policy
Fri April 11
paper due
Trajan's art…
Trajan’s column: WR, 486 [see images on pp. 122-25]
What military campaign does Trajan's column celebrate?
Trajan’s Forum; Trajan’s Market
and Hadrian's peace
Life of Hadrian, 1-16 (H, pp. 575-93) and skim the rest.
WEEK FOURTEEN
Mon April 14
How did Hadrian show his love for Greek culture?
How did Hadrian undermine Trajan’s foreign policy?
Why was Hadrian unpopular with the Senate straight from the start?
How did Hadrian ingratiate himself with his soldiers?
How did the death of Antinous affect Hadrian?
Hadrian’ s foreign policy; Hadrian’s love of Greece
Exporting public and private Romanization
baths, theater, circus, and amphitheater: Appendix 3 (CP, pp. 53-55) [skim WR, 98, 218, 484].
Wed April 16
How different is the theatrical production described in CP, p. 53 from that we read earlier of Terence?
What activities took place in a Roman bath-house – apart from bathing?
Seneca was scandalized by imperial bathing fashions; but why do you think these became popular especially
among foreigners and the poor?
According to Sidonius Apollinaris’ account in CP, pp. 54-55, what was so exciting about a chariot race?
Roman bath; Roman theater; Circus Maximus; Colosseum
Importing Eastern religions,
Isis: Apuleius (CP, pp. 42-46) [Eastern cults and Christianity: skim WR, 253-58; 382-84].
Fri April 18
In CP, p. 42, how different is Lucius’ prayer to Isis from those we have observed addressed to traditional Roman
gods?
What are Isis’ main attributes and characteristics, as described by Lucius?
Why does Isis agree to help Lucius? How different are her motivations from those of traditional Roman gods?
How does the public ceremony on p. 45 represent an attempt at compromise between old and new religion?
How does the private ceremony on p. 46 challenge this compromise?
Isis; Mithras
Fall of Classical Rome
fragmentation and decline: WR, 115-17
Constantine; Theodosius
WEEK FIFTEEN
Mon April 21