Otacilia Severa, wife of Emperor Philip I, "the Arab." Coin dated 247/248 AD
Roman Civilization
 

Spring 2001

games for Rome's 1000th birthday and the new Saeculum,about 110 years in length

Instructor: Dr. Victor A. Leuci

Texts: Links for materials to support this course:
The syllabus also provides links to various sites Objectives: The course is a survey of ancient Roman life and thought. Our goals are to: Relationship to the General Education Curriculum: Roman Civilization 228 satisfies one of the two courses required within the Historical Perspectives Context of Tier II. As stated in the course objectives, Roman Civilization 228 provides students with opportunities to immerse themselves in the ancient Roman culture and daily life, learning how it evolved politically, socially, culturally, and economically over time. Mastering an understanding of a culture’s art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science, economics, politics, and religion offers opportunities for reflection on varying cultural, social, and historical traditions including work, family, voluntary associations, government. The course will also foster an awareness of the role of values in decision making, search for meaning and identity, and the ethical issues of society. Much of this will be accomplished through the study of certain "archetypal" individuals from the time period covered. Students should also gain insight into ways their culture is similar to and different from the ancient Roman culture. It is intended that students will acquire a deeper understanding of the breadth of our human experience and heritage over the expanse of Roman history. Also intended is the understanding of the interrelationships of the political, social, artistic, cultural, intellectual, religious, and scientific aspects of life in ancient Rome. Finally, it is expected that students will gain a greater respect for other peoples and cultures because of their study of ancient Roman civilization. Through this course, students will develop a propensity for historical methods of study that lead to an understanding of patterns and meaning in history. The teaching and use of historical methods will be key for much of the above discussions, examinations, and analysis. It is expected that the students will be able to reach and defend their own positions based on careful analysis of primary sources (keeping in mind that many of our ‘primary’ sources for this time period are, in fact, secondary to varying degrees) and thoughtful and judicious use of secondary sources.

Format: The course will rely primarily on discussion with some lecture. We may also explore certain aspects of Roman life via the Web. Certain course information regarding assignments will also be posted to the web page created for this course and will also be available via a discussion group in Exchange. More than two unexcused absences will be considered excessive and will factor in determining your grade. No make-up work will be accepted for unexcused absences.

Grading: 3 exams (100 pts each); final (50 pts);  5-6 microthemes (500-800 words;  25 pts each). In addtion 10% of your grade will be based on class participation, attendance, web discussion, etc. Specific due dates for the microthemes will be announced at least one week in advance.  I expect you to abide by Westminster’s honor code.

Exams and final:  The exams will be a combination of fill-in the blank or short answer with essays. Usually there will be 10-15 fill in the blank questions worth 2 points each and two long essays worth 35 to 40 points each. The final will be half of a regular exam. The essays should be well written in standard paragraph format and replete with pertinent facts to support your thesis (or theses). The average length for a good essay should be 300 to 400 words long. Usually a review sheet will be posted in the discussion folder and available on the web one week before an exam as an aid in your preparation.

Writing Intensive Option: Several different types of writing will be part of the course: microthemes and three to four exams that are predominately essay (two of which must be the take-home versions). Two to six microthemes will be assigned as a means to help participants come to a better understanding of important themes, ideas, and concepts. The second and third microthemes will be revised on the basis of a conference with a tutor at the Writing Lab;  one will be revised on the basis of a conference with me. Through conference sessions each student will develop and refine the paper topic. A critique and conference after the completion of the paper may also occur. In general, participants in the class should highly consider using the services of the Writing Lab and especially the Lab tutors, who can be of tremendous assistance.
 

Papers:
Content: The microthemes will focus on a specific question which will be narrow in focus--your paper should be corresponding “narrow” and will be an opportunity for you to apply historical methods. The thesis you maintain in your paper should be supported with facts from the readings and with quotes where appropriate. The paper, however, should not be one long quotation.  They are intending to be opportunities for you to examine certain topics and to come up with reasonable responses, i.e. responses that are based on reason and that can be supported by the information which you have covered in this class.

Formatting:

Assignments: The assignments given below are not “set-in-stone,” and may vary depending on how each class period goes. The syllabus will be updated as needed. Another place to check for changes in the syllabus will be the Roman Civ. folder in the Discussion Groups folder in Exchange.

Unit I: From Romulus to the Rubicon (753-49 BC)

Unit II: From Caesar to Vespasian (49 BC - 69 AD) Unit III: From Vespasian to Constantine (69 - 337 AD) Unit IIII: Leisure and Entertainment