CLAS 108 Roman Civilization and Its Legacy Spring, 2014MWF 11:00-11:50ABL 131

Scott McGillRayzor 232 X3206 smcgill@rice.edu

Course Description:This course will introduce students to the world of ancient Rome. The approach will be to combine primary and secondary readings to examine Roman political, military, social, and cultural history, as well as major events, individuals, and texts in the period. Along the way, we will explore two fundamental questions: how do we know what we know about the Roman world, and how do we interpret the information we have? We will also take time to explore Rome’s legacy as a foundational influence in Western Civilization and as a vital presence in the contemporary imagination.

Requirements: Attendance: 15%Three Quizzes: 30%Midterm: 25%Final: 30%

NB: ALL WORK MUST BE COMPLETED FOR YOU TO RECEIVE A GRADE

Required Texts: Ahl, Virgil: AeneidBoatwright, Gargola, Lenski, Talbert, The Romans: From Village to Empire, 2nd editionDamon, Tacitus: AnnalsGrant, Cicero: Selected Political SpeechesGwynn, The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction

Learning GoalsTo familiarize students with major events and individuals in Roman antiquityTo give students an understanding of Roman political, military, social, and cultural historyTo introduce students to major literary texts from ancient Rome To facilitate critical thinking about how we reconstruct and interpret the past

Accommodations: Please speak with me within the first two weeks of class if you have a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations. All discussions will be confidential. You should also contact Disabled Student Services in the Ley Student Center.

Schedule

Week One:

13 January: Introduction

15 January: Boatwright et al. (hereafter BGLT), 1-31

17 January: BGLT, 31-42, Gwynn, 4-11

Week Two:

20 January: NO CLASS

22 January: BGLT, 43-69

24 January: BGLT, 69-86

Week Three:

27 January: Gwynn, 12-45

29 January: BGLT, 87-110

31 January: BGLT, 110-24

Week Four:

3 February: Gwynn, 46-70

5 February: BGLT, 125-53

7 February: Gwynn, 71-83

Week Five:

10 February: QUIZ ONE BGLT, 152-75

12 February: BGLT, 175-84

14 February: BGLT, 185-208

Week Six:

17 February: BGLT, 209-16

19 February: Gwynn, 84-99

21 February: Cicero, Political Speeches, 71-109 Week Seven:

24 February: Cicero, Political Speeches, 109-45

26 February: BGLT, 217-34

28 February: BGLT, 234-56

Week Eight:

NO CLASS–SPRING BREAK

Week Nine:

10 March: MIDTERM

12 March: BGLT, 257-79

14 March: Gwynn, 100-15 Week Ten:

17 March: Virgil, Aeneid 1-3

19 March: Virgil, Aeneid 4-6

21 March: Virgil, Aeneid 7-9

Week Eleven:

24 March: Virgil, Aeneid 10-12

26 March: QUIZ TWO BGLT, 279-308

28 March: BGLT, 309-27

Week Twelve:

31 March: BGLT, 327-46 2 April: Tacitus, Annals 1-31

4 April: NO CLASS – SPRING RECESS

Week Thirteen:

7 April: Tacitus, Annals 124-62

9 April: Tacitus, Annals 303-40

11 April: BGLT, 347-69

Week Fourteen:

14 April: BGLT, 369-88

16 April: QUIZ THREE BGLT, 389-426

18 April: BGLT, 427-57

Week Fifteen:

21 April: BGLT, 458-86

23 April: BGLT. 487-518

25 April: Conclusion