The Romans and their Empire, 754 BC to AD 565

Reading Requirements. Reading assignments are listed below. All the necessary books will be on reserve in the College Library. The following are the most useful books to buy (prices approximate), and they have been ordered by Labyrinth Books (536 W. 112th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam):

N. Lewis-M. Reinhold, Roman Civilization, 2 vols., a source book (third edition, Columbia University Press, $45.00);

M.H. Crawford, The Roman Republic (Harvard University Press, $14.95);

M. Goodman, The Roman World, 44 BC--AD 180 (Routledge, $25);

R. Talbert, Atlas of Classical History (Routledge, $18.50).

Please bring the appropriate volume of Lewis & Reinhold to each class.

Discussion Sections. Discussion sections will meet once a week for fifty-minute sessions, at times to be arranged. Students are expected to stay with the same section and to attend the their section conscientiously. It is important to complete the required readings for the week before your discussion section meets. Participation in your section will account for 5% of the final grade.
 

Term Papers. One paper is required, of about 1250 - 1500 words. The deadline is APRIL 8. A list of possible topics will be distributed early in the semester; for any topic not on the list, you will need my permission. The paper will account for 40% of the final grade.
 

Examinations. There will be a brief quiz on Feb. 11 and a midterm (15% of the final grade) on March 4. You are advised to take extensive notes during lectures in preparation for the midterm and final exam. The final will account for the remaining 40% of the final grade.
 

Geography. You will not be able to understand the lectures or the readings without some knowledge of the geography of the Roman world. You should obtain and use Talbert's Atlas (see above). Slightly better (and much more expensive) atlases, those of N.G.L. Hammond, Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, and T.J. Cornell & J. Matthews, Atlas of the Roman World, are on reserve in the College Library.
 

Museum. There will be an organized class visit to the Metropolitan Museum's collections of Hellenistic and Roman material at a date to be announced later.
 
 

Discussions with the Instructor. You are encouraged to bring any questions about the course to me in my office hours (see above). Each student should come to see me at least once during the semester to talk about the course.
 

Bibliography. The attached bibliography is intended to provide (1) an easy way for me to refer to the various titles during lectures, (2) some help in assembling reading for papers, and (3) a list of interesting books.

               LECTURE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

When an ancient source is assigned, any modern translation may be used; there are translations of all these works in the Loeb Classical Library series.
 

INTRODUCTION

January 21. Introduction.

January 23. Texts and Artifacts: How We Know What Happened in Antiquity.
Lewis and Reinhold, vol. I, pp. 1-49 (n.b. the Glossary on pp. 647-650 of this book).

 
I. ROMAN HISTORY TO 70 B.C.

Jan. 28. Social and Economic Structures.
L & R vol. I, sections 8, 32, 39-44, 94, 146, 166; Talbert, p.86.

Feb. 2. The Political and Religious Institutions.
L & R, sections 25-31, 34-38, 45-56, 149, 176-77 and 180-82; Crawford, Roman Republic.

Feb. 4. The Roman Conquest of Italy and the Romanizing of Italy.
L & R, sections 15-22, 103, 119 and 162; Talbert, pp.84-85, 87-95.

Feb. 9, 11, 16. Roman Imperialism outside Italy.
L & R, sections 13, 57-61, 65, 67-75, 77, 80-82, 89-90, 95, 124- 128, 136-9, 170; Harris, War and Imperialism, Intro. and chs. I - III; Talbert, pp.96-102.

FEBRUARY 11: THERE WILL BE A QUIZ ON MATERIAL COVERED SO FAR

Feb. 18 and 23. The Beginning of the Period of Civil Wars: 133 - 70 B.C.
L & R, sections 96-102, 154; Appian, Civil Wars, book I (in vol. III in the Loeb Classical Library edition).
 

II. ROMAN HISTORY, 70 B.C. - 14 A.D.: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REPUBLIC

Feb. 25 and March 2. The Crisis of the Republic, 70 - 31 B.C.
L & R, sections 105-118, 155, 173; Suetonius, The Divine Julius.

March 4. The Paper Assignment (a brief lecture). MIDTERM EXAM

March 9. The Augustan Regime.
L & R, sections 194-202, 204-205, 207-210; Wells, The Roman Empire, chapters 1- 4.

March 11. External and Provincial Developments, 70 B.C. - 14 A.D. L & R, sections 84, 85, 87, 136, 140-141, 152, 167, 174, 203; Talbert, pp.103-109.

March 23. Cultural and Religious History, 70 B.C.-14 A.D.
L & R, sections 178-179, 185-188, 206.
 

III. ROMAN HISTORY, 14 A.D.-235 A.D.: THE EMPIRE IN STABILITY

March 25. Monarchy, Senate, Government.
L & R, vol. II (n.b. the glossary on pp. 641-644), sections 1-7, 12-14, 18, 19, 63-66, 69, 75, 76, 79, 82, 84-86, 90, 104; Tacitus, Annals, book I.

March 30. The Army: its Functions, inside and outside the Empire.
L & R, sections 8, 11, 15, 135-152; Wells, The Roman Empire, chapters 5-11; Talbert, pp.127-129, 169-171.

April 1. Slavery.
T. Wiedemann, Greek and Roman Slavery, chs. 1, 3, 7, 9.

April 6. The Lives of Women.
L & R, sections 87, 91-103.

April 8. Problems in Roman Economic and Social History.
L & R, sections 17, 21-34, 40, 42-45, 51-52, 68-74, 112, 115-117; R. MacMullen, Roman Social Relations.

APRIL 8 IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE TERM PAPER

April 13 and 15. Cultural and Religious History.
L & R, sections 54-55, 57-61, 161, 162, 165-168.
 

IV. ROMAN HISTORY, 235 A.D. - 410 A.D.: THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE EMPIRE

April 20. The Problems of the Third-Century Empire.
L & R, sections 105, 110-111, 172.

APRIL 21: the Parilia, festival of Rome's birthday.

April 22. The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine.
L & R, sections 119-134, 176; Talbert, pp.175-177.

April 27. From Constantine to Theodosius I.
Ammianus Marcellinus, Book XX to Book XXV, ch. 4 = Penguin Classics translation, pp. 185-299; L & R, sections 173-175, 177- 180.

April 29. Cultural Transformations in Late Antiquity
L & R, sections 163, 181-190.

May 4. The "Fall" of the Roman Empire and Ways of Explaining it.
Averil Cameron, The Later Roman Empire

 
                           BIBLIOGRAPHY

General:

1. Alfoldy, G. The Social History of Rome (English ed., 1985)

2. Bandinelli, R. Bianchi, Rome, the Center of Power: Roman Art to A.D. 200 (1970)

3. Bauman, R. Women and Politics in Ancient Rome (1992)

4. Berger, A. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Roman Law (1953)

5. Bradley, K. Slavery and Society at Rome (1994)

6. Boethius, A. and Ward-Perkins, J.B. Etruscan and Roman Architecture (1970)

7. Cantarella, E. Bisexuality in the Ancient World (English ed., 1992)

8. Cary, M. A History of Rome (third edition, 1975)

9. D'Arms, J.H. Commerce and Social Standing in Ancient Rome (1981)

10. de Ste. Croix, G.E.M. The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World (1980)

11. Dixon, S. The Roman Mother (1988)

12. Dixon, S. The Roman Family (1991)

13. Dorey, T.A. (ed.) Latin Historians (1966)

14. Fantham, E., etc. Women in the Classical World: Image and Text (1994)

15. Finley, M.I. (ed.) Studies in Roman Property (1976)

16. Finley, M.I. The Ancient Economy (1973)

17. Finley, M.I. Ancient History: Evidence and Models (1985)

18. Fowler, W.W. Religious Experience of the Roman People (1911)

19. Frank, T. (ed.) Economic Survey of Ancient Rome, 6 vols. (1933-40)

20. Garnsey, P. Famine and Food Supply in the Graeco-Roman World (1988)

21. Garnsey, P., Hopkins, K. and Whittaker, C.R. (eds.) Trade in the Ancient Economy (1983)

22. Gelzer, M. The Roman Nobility (English edition, 1969)

23. Greene, K. The Archaeology of the Roman Economy (1986)

24. Hands, A.R. Charities and Social Aid in Greece and Rome (1968)

25. Harris, W.V. Ancient Literacy (1989)

26. Hopkins, K. Conquerors and Slaves (1978)

27. Hopkins, K. Death and Renewal (1983)

27a. Howgego, C. Ancient History from Coins (1995)

28. Jones, A.H.M. Cities of the Eastern Roman Empire (1939)

29. Liebeschuetz, J. Continuity and Change in Roman Religion (1979)

30. Lintott, A.W. Imperium Romanum: Politics and Administration (1993)

31. Lomas, K. (ed.), Roman Italy 338 BC - AD 200, A Sourcebook (1995)

32. Marrou, H.I. History of Education in Antiquity (English edition, 1956)

33. Momigliano, A. Alien Wisdom (1975)

34. Nash, E. Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome (1961)

35. Nicholas, J.K.B.M. Introduction to Roman Law (1964)

36. Nippel, W. Public Order in Ancient Rome (English ed., 1995)

37. Parkin, T. G. Demography and Roman Society (1992)

38. Peacock, D. & Williams, D.F. Amphorae and the Roman Economy (1986)

39. Pomeroy, S.B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, Slaves (1975)

40. Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites (1976)

41. Rawson, B. (ed.) Marriage, Divorce, and Children in Ancient Rome (1991)

42. Rich, J. (ed.) City and Country in the Ancient World (1991)

43. Riddle, J.M. Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance (1992)

44. Rist, J.M. The Stoics (1978)

45. Sherwin-White, A.N. Roman Citizenship (2nd ed., 1973)

46. Staveley, E.S. Greek and Roman Voting and Elections (1972)

47. Tchernia, A. Le vin dans L'Italie romaine (1986)

48. Temporini, H. (ed.) Aufstieg und Niedergang der Ro"mischen Welt, many vols., (1972--)

49. Treggiari, S. Roman Marriage (1991)

50. White, K.D. Roman Farming (1970)

51. Wiedemann, T. Greek and Roman Slavery (1981) (source book)

52. Witt, R.E. Isis in the Graeco-Roman World (1972)

53. Yegul, F. Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity (1992)
 

Roman Republic:
 
54. Astin, A.E. Scipio Aemilianus (1967)

55. Astin, A.E. Cato the Censor (1978)

56. Beard, M. and Crawford, M. Rome in the Late Republic (1985)

57. Broughton, T.R.S. Magistrates of the Roman Republic, 3 vols. (1951-1986)

58. Brunt, P.A. Social Conflicts in the Roman Republic (1971)

59. Brunt, P.A. Italian Manpower, 225 B.C. - A.D. 14 (1971)

60. Brunt, P.A. The Fall of the Roman Republic (1988)

61. Crawford, M.H. Roman Republican Coinage, 2 vols. (1974)

62. Crawford M.H. (ed.), Roman Statutes, 2 vols. (1996)

63. Gabba, E. Republican Rome: The Army and the Allies (English ed., 1977)

64. Gelzer, M. Caesar: Politician and Statesman (English ed., 1968)

65. Gruen, E.S. The Last Generation of the Roman Republic (1974)

66. Gruen, E.S. Culture and National Identity in Republican Rome (1992)

67. Harris, W.V. Rome in Etruria and Umbria (1971)

68. Harris, W.V. War and Imperialism in Republican Rome, 327 - 70 B.C. (1979)

69. Harris, W.V. (ed.) The Imperialism of Mid-republican Rome (1984)

70. Lintott, A.W. Violence in Republican Rome (1968)

71. Nicolet, C. The World of the Citizen in the Roman Republic (English ed., 1980)

72. Ogilvie, R.M. A Commentary on Livy, Books 1-5 (1965)

73. Rawson, E. Intellectual Life in the Late Roman Republic (1985)

74. Salmon, E.T. Roman Colonization Under the Republic (1969)

75. Salmon, E.T. The Making of Roman Italy (1982)

76. Scullard, H.H. From the Gracchi to Nero (5th ed., 1982)

77. Stockton, D. The Gracchi (1979)

80. Syme, R. The Roman Revolution (1939)

81. Taylor, L.R. Roman Voting Assemblies (1966)

82. Treggiari, S. Roman Freedmen in the Late Republic (1969)

83. Walbank, F.W. A Commentary on Polybius, 3 vols. (1957-79)

84. Warmington, E.H. Remains of Old Latin, 4 vols. (1935-40)

85. Weinstock, S. Divus Julius (1971)
 

Roman Empire:

86. Aubert, J.-J. Business Managers in Ancient Rome (1994)

87. Birley, A. Marcus Aurelius (1966)

88. Birley, A. The Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus (1971)

89. Bowersock, G.W. Greek Sophists in the Roman Empire (1969)

90. Browning, R. The Emperor Julian (1975)

91. Brunt, P.A. Roman Imperial Themes (1990)

92. Cameron, A. Circus Factions (1976)

93. Cameron, Averil  The Later Roman Empire, AD 284 - 430 (1993)

94. Campbell, B. The Roman Army, 31 BC-AD 33, a Sourcebook (1994)

95. Campbell, J.B. The Emperor and the Roman Army (1984)

96. Le Culte des Souverains dans L'Empire Romain, Entretiens sur l'Antiquite' classique, XIX (1973)

97. Dodds, E.R. Pagan and Christian in an Age of Anxiety (1965)

98. Dorcey, P. Silvanus: A Study in Roman Folk Religion (1992)

99. Duncan-Jones, R.P. Structure and Scale in The Roman Economy (1990)

100. Duncan-Jones, R.P. Money and Government in the Roman Empire (1994)

101. Garnsey, P. Social Status and Legal Privilege in the Roman Empire (1970)

102. Garnsey, P. and Saller, R. The Roman Empire. Economy, Society, and Culture (1987)

103. Garzetti, A. From Tiberius to the Antonines (English ed., 1974)

104. Gibbon, E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, (1776 f.; note J. Bury's ed.)

105. Griffin, M. Seneca, a Philosopher in Politics (1976)

106. Humphrey, J. Roman Circuses and Chariot Racing (1985)

107. Harris, W.V. (ed.) The Inscribed Economy (1993)

108. Isaac, B. The Limits of Empire: The Roman Army in the East (1990)

109. Jones, A.H.M. The Later Roman Empire, 284 - 602 A.D., 3 vols. (1964)

110. Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. and Morris, J. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, 3 vols. (1971-1992)

111. Jones, C. P. Plutarch and Rome (1971)

112. Lane Fox, R. Pagans and Christians (1987)

113. Lewis, N. Life in Egypt under Roman Rule (1983)

114. MacMullen, R. Enemies of the Roman Order (1967)

115. MacMullen, R. Roman Social Relations, 50 B.C. - A.D. 284 (1974)

116. MacMullen, R. The Roman Govemment's Response to Crisis, A.D. 235 - 337 (1976)

117. MacMullen, R. Paganism in the Roman Empire (1981)

118. MacMullen, R. Christianizing the Roman Empire (1984)

119. MacMullen, R. Changes in the Roman Empire: Essays in the Ordinary (1990)

120. Matthews, J. The Roman Empire of Ammianus (1989)

121. Mattingly, H. (ed.) Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, 6 vols. (1932-62)

122. Meiggs, R. Roman Ostia (second ed., 1973)

123. Millar, F. The Emperor in the Roman World (1977)

124. Potter, D.S. Prophecy and History in the Crisis of the Roman Empire. An Historical Commentary on the Thirteenth Sibylline Oracle (1990)

125. Price, S. Rituals and Power: the Roman Imperial Cult in Asia Minor (1985)

126. Raaflaub, K. and Toher, M. Between Republic and Empire (1990)

127. Rickman, G. The Corn Supply of Ancient Rome (1980)

128. Rostovtzeff, M. Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire, 2 vols. (1957)

129. Saller, R.P. Patriarchy, Property, and Death in the Roman Family (1994)

130. Sherwin-White, A.N. (ed.) The Letters of Pliny (1966)

131. Sherwin-White, A.N. Racial Prejudice in Imperial Rome (1967)

132. Smallwood, E.M. The Jews under Roman Rule (1976)

133. Smith, M. Jesus the Magician (1978)

134. Syme, R. Tacitus, 2 vols. (1958)

135. Syme, R. Ammianus and the Historia Augusta (1968)

136. Syme, R. The Augustan Aristocracy (1986)

137. Talbert, R. The Senate of Imperial Rome (1984)

138. Toynbee, J.M.C. Death and Burial in the Roman World (1971)

139. Vermaseren, M.J. Mithras, the Secret God (English trans., 1963)

140. Vermaseren, M.J. Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae 2 vols. (1960)

141. Wallace-Hadrill, A. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1994)

142. Watson, G. R. The Roman Soldier (1969)

143. Webster, G. The Roman Imperial Army (1969)

144. Wheeler, M. Rome Beyond the Imperial Frontiers (1954)

145. Whittaker, C. Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Social and Economic Study (1994)

146. Zanker, P. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus (English ed., 1988)
 

SECTIONS
 

The sections take place at the following locations:

Section A: Monday 6pm-7pm     467 Schermerhorn
Section B: Tuesday 6pm-7pm    403 Hamilton
Section C: Wednesday 6pm-7pm  617B Hamilton
Section D: Thursday 6pm-7pm   405 Kent

If you have any problems you can send a message to the TAs