Classics 212 Spring, 2006
Ancient Rome
Professor Eric Orlin
Office: Wyatt 149 Office Phone: x2717
Office Hours: MWTh 10-10:50 and by appointment email:
Course Description and Objectives: Who were the Romans? And why should someone living in the 21st century care about them? On the one hand the elements from Roman society - legal systems, political structures, engineering abilities - that have been incorporated into the modern Western tradition make them seem very familiar, but on the other hand we are separated from them by two thousand years of history and infinite technological change. Despite these changes, the issues that the Romans encountered are indeed similar to those that we ourselves still encounter today: Who are we? How did we get to where we are? And where do we go from here? The best way to learn about any people is to let them speak for themselves, and that is what we will do for the next fifteen weeks: we will read what the Romans themselves wrote and we will analyze the material remains that the Romans left behind. It is only through a combination of sources that we will be able to reconstruct some hypothetical answers to our questions. We will follow the city of Rome from a small village on the banks of the Tiber River to the dominant power in the Mediterranean basin and from a monarchy to an aristocratic republic and back to a monarchy, and we will observe how these changes affected Roman life and how the Romans affected the lives of all those they encountered. By the end of our work together, dedicated study will give you a firm grasp of the outlines of Roman history, the differences between the Romans and ourselves, and a deeper appreciation of what ancient Roman culture has contributed, for better or for worse, to our own civilization today.
Class Format: All of the material we are using is capable of multiple interpretations and has in fact been used by scholars in support of different positions. Our class time therefore will be devoted as much as possible to discussing possible interpretations of that material, rather than lectures introducing the material. My role in this course is similar to a coach, helping you to develop your own abilities and interpretations.Your role is to be prepared for class by introducing yourself to the material through the assigned readings, and coming to class with questions and observations. It is important to develop your own questions because what is ‘relevant’ or ‘meaningful’ in historical work depends greatly on the interests and background of the individual historian, and you can only be sure of discussing an issue of interest to you by bringing it up yourself. My classroom is ‘democratic’ in the sense that I will let you determine the direction of discussions in class, and I expect you to assume the responsibility that goes along with that freedom.
Texts: The following required texts are available at the bookstore.
P. Jones, & K. Sidwell, The World of Rome (= Jones on the schedule)
Mellor, R., The Historians of Ancient Rome (= M on the schedule)
Coursepack (Items in the Coursepack are indicated by a CP on the schedule below.)
In an effort to save trees and save you money, we will also make use of readings that I will post in Blackboard. These readings are indicated by a BB on the schedule below. If you have any problems accessing these files, let me know as soon as you can. You may want to print these out in the library, or I would be happy to create a supplementary coursepack for any who wish to purchase it. Students should regularly check Blackboard for updates; it will also hold an array of materials to help you with this course, as well as an archive of all materials handed out in class
Goals of the Course:
Students enrolled in this class will develop their abilities in the following areas:
· Close reading
Classicists more than most academics depend on close reading, because of the scarcity of our sources. Not only must you be able to report accurately what you have read, but you must also be able to highlight a few key phrases that may be buried in the midst of an otherwise ordinary paragraph. You also need to gain an accurate sense of chronological narrative, remembering that events in 44 BCE cannot have caused events in 48 BCE, since dates BCE count down towards zero.
· Recognizing that ‘the past is a foreign country’
While the Romans appear familiar to us, their assumptions about the world, man’s place in it, and human nature in general were vastly different from ours. You will need to understand the scope of Roman history and become familiar with the major figures and trends that affected the structures and belief systems of Roman civilization.
· Realizing that published works have authors
This includes both primary and secondary sources, and includes paying attention to authors’ personalities, potential biases, and attempts to organize material in a certain way. Such efforts do not mean that a source is useless, but does affect the way we should utilize that source. You should know who wrote our textbook and be aware of how it is organized with chapters and subheadings.
· Perceiving historical theses
Closely connected with the previous point, you must recognize that historians argue about the past, they do not merely present the past. They debate, for instance, whether Athens can truly be called ‘democratic’, and they organize material in order to make a convincing case.
· Using written sources as evidence
This is a key point: facts are not evidence. Facts only become evidence when they are brought forward in relation to a particular thesis or explanation. Ancient literary sources provide the bulk of evidence for the Roman world, but the scarcity of written sources means that you often must utilize archaeological and visual evidence as well.
· Stating and defending a thesis
Accurate and specific examples are the key to providing solid evidence here. Secondary source authors often provide good models of how to construct and defend an argument. You will learn both how to defend a thesis put forward by another scholar, and how to choose and defend your own thesis.
· Defending a thesis against counterarguments
Agreeing with one modern scholar is not enough. You must learn to recognize pitfalls in your own argument and say why you have rejected carefully argued opposing views. Again, accurate and specific examples and evidence are the key here.
Course Requirements: In developing their skills in historical argumentation, students will write several short papers that will culminate in a paper of 6-8 pages on a topic of their own choosing. We will have an argumentative position paper due at midterm rather than an exam, and we will have a final exam comprised mostly of essay questions. We will also have quizzes every two weeks to ensure that students are mastering the factual material of the course. In addition students will be expected to participate actively as a good colleague in this class, which will include regular posting to a discussion board as well as participation in classroom discussion. Each of these assignments is an opportunity to demonstrate your preparation for class and your knowledge of the material. I will quickly and fairly evaluate your work, but ultimately the grade you receive is based on the quality of work you do.
· Collegiality: In essence, this part of your grade is determined by how good a colleague you are to your fellow students. Among other things, collegiality may be demonstrated by: your on-time arrival and attendance throughout class; preparation of the assigned readings prior to class; bringing the assigned readings with you to class each day; active participation in all class activities; and your ability and willingness to master the course material in a creative and sophisticated manner. Students will also be expected to post on a discussion board prior to class at least once per week, offering their thoughts, questions, and/or responses to the reading for that class. I may also begin class by asking you to write down a response to a question about the reading, and these informal writing assignments will form another part of your collegiality grade.
Ø A note on class participation: While many assume that participation is synonymous with talking in class, I would encourage you to think about participation as both talking and listening. A good colleague is one who listens to his or her colleagues, the instructor and the authors, then adds to the existing conversation. To be a good participant, you need to listen, think about what you have heard, and then offer your own voice to the discussion.
· Quizzes: The regular quizzes at two-week intervals will consist of a combination of the identification of important names or terms, map questions, and chronologies. Quizzes are given at the beginning of class, and no extra time will be allowed for people who arrive to class late. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped from grade calculations.
· Papers: Students in this class will build up to a paper that defends a position on a particular historical question in Roman history researched by the student. In the course of working on this paper, students will (1) write an analysis that evaluates the reliability of a specific ancient source, (2) write a paper that argues for a particular interpretation on the demise of the Roman Republic (3) find and review an article on a historical subject of their own choosing. Toward the end of the term students will submit a longer paper on the topic of their own choosing utilizing the skills they have developed and arguing for a particular interpretation of their topic. Full details of each assignment will be handed out separately.
Requirements summary:
Collegiality (including informal writing): / 20%Quizzes / 10%
Article Review (due March 1) / 5%
Position Paper (due March 10) / 15%
Source Analysis (due March 28) / 10%
Research Argument (due May 3): / 20%
Final Exam: / 20%
Please note the following general tips and policies.
· I cannot stress enough the importance of ‘reading actively’. Reading academic work takes more than running your eyes over the words (alas . . .). To get the most out of the material and the time you spend reading it, ask yourself the following questions as you read: What type of document is this? Who is the author and what do we know about him/her? Who is the audience? What is the author trying to do in this document? What evidence does the author cite? Is it convincing? How do you relate this document to the period in which it was created? How does this document relate to the larger issues in the class as a whole? And most importantly, what have you learned? Rather than underlining or highlighting, force yourself to jot down notes on a separate sheet of paper, along with any questions that the reading creates in your mind.
· Clear up any problems early. While I try to be as clear as possible, the only way I know when I’m not being clear is when someone asks for more information. When there is something you don’t fully understand – in class, about assignment or exam directions, or about your grade on an assignment or exam – ask for clarification. You can do so in class, after class, during office hours, or by email. This is as important a way for you to take responsibility for your learning as anything else that you do. In the same way, if an unexpected crisis arises in the middle of the semester that might affect your work, it is your responsibility to inform me as early as you can. You will find that I am quite sympathetic to those who notify me as soon as they notice a problem, but I have a ‘tin ear’ for those who send me an email on the morning a paper is due. How you handle such crises is an important component of how you will be judged in the ‘real world’, and it is important in my class as well.
· The dates of the assignments given on the class schedule are firm. Following on the previous paragraph, I do not give extensions except in cases of documented medical or family emergency. I do this to ensure fairness for all students. Late papers are penalized one-half grade for every day they are late. After two weeks, late papers are not accepted at all and are scored a zero.
· I will strictly enforce the University policy on academic honesty. The Academic Handbook states: "Academic dishonesty can take many forms, including but not limited to the following: plagiarism, which is the misrepresentation of someone else's words, ideas, research, images, or video clips as one's own; submitting the same paper for credit in more than one course without prior permission; collaborating with other students on papers and submitting them without instructor permission; cheating on examinations; mistreatment of library materials; forgery; and misuse of academic computing facilities.” Read the complete policy at: http://www.ups.edu/dean/Handbook/honesty.html.
· Special Note on Electronic Resources: The Web is both a blessing and a curse. It provides a great deal of information that might otherwise not be easily available, but a great deal of that information is unreliable, since anyone can create a website and post anything they want. Items from full-text databases (such as JSTOR) or items linked directly from Blackboard may be used without restriction, though they should be cited appropriately. You may only use other Web resources if you provide evidence that you have evaluated the trustworthiness of the site. Specifically you must, in addition to the appropriate citation, provide the author’s name and credentials, the name of the organization that publishes the website, the date the site was last updated, and your reasons for believing the website presents objective and valid material.
Failure to provide this information will result in an automatic five-point penalty per website.
The library has developed an excellent website (http://library.ups.edu/research/handouts/eval.htm) to assist you in evaluating the reliability of on-line material.