Otacilia Severa, wife of Emperor
Philip I, "the Arab." Coin dated 247/248 AD image courtesy of Edgar
L. Owen,
|
Roman Civilization
Spring 2002
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games for Rome's 1000th birthday
and the new Saeculum,about 110 years in length image courtesy of
Edgar
L. Owen,
|
Instructor: Dr. Victor A.
Leuci
Texts:
R. B. Kebric, Roman People, 3rd edition.
Mayfield(Kebric)
C. Scarre, The Penguin Historical Atlas
of Ancient Rome, Penguin 1995 (Scarre)
Jo-Ann Shelton, As the Romans Did,
2nd edition. Oxford 1998 (Shelton)
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:
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establish a basic understanding of ancient Roman
culture and daily life;
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understand how everyday life of the different
social classes was affected by politics, economics, societal norms, and
the culture;
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appreciate the literature and art produced by
Rome and its significance;
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understand the evolution of political and religious
systems in Roman history;
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understand how the political, economic, religious,
cultural, and social aspects of ancient Rome were related and integrated;
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appreciate how ancient Roman culture is similar
to and different from contemporary culture, providing roots for much of
our modern Western culture; and
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learn to reach and defend positions based on
careful analysis of primary sources and thoughtful and judicious use of
secondary sources (with an awareness of how and why the secondary sources
agree and disagree).
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.
Writing
Intensive Option: Different types of writing will be part of
the course: short papers and exams that are predominately essay (two of
which must be the take-home versions). Eight short papers will be assigned
as a means to help participants come to a better understanding of important
themes, ideas, and concepts. The first short paper will be revised on the
basis of a conference with me. Two other short papers must be revised on
the basis of conferences with me and with a tutor at the Writing Lab. A
critique and conference after the completion of a 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.
Grading:
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Exams: 2-3 total, 100 points each.
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Papers: 8 total; 600-900 words in length;
30 points each; your lowest two scores will be dropped. These may form
an important part of class discussion.
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Final: the final will simply be papers
# 7 and 8. You may opt to double the points each is worth by doubling its
length and indicating in the header of the paper that you are doubling
it.
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Class Participation: 50 points; will
also include posts in class discussion folder
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Honor Code: All students and faculty
must adhere to the Honor Code; please see the Student Life Handbook for
the full description of the Honor Code.
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ADA Accommodation: Any student who feels
that he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability
should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.
At that time, we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs,
and explore possible accommodations.
Exams:
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In-class version: The exams will be a
combination of fill-in the blank or short answer with essays. Usually there
will be 15 fill in the blank questions worth 2 points each (30 points total)
and two essays (70 points total). 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 long essay is usually
at least 300 words, i.e. one to two full pages depending on how large you
write, what type of margins you use, etc. A review sheet will typically
be posted in the discussion folder and linked to the web syllabus one week
before the exam as an aid in your preparation.
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Take-home version: You may choose a take-home
option on the exams. This will involve writing either two 900-1200 word
essays or three 600-900 word essays. The topics for these essays will be
provided along at the same time and places as the review sheet for the
in-class exam.
Papers:
Content: Each short paper will focus
on a specific question based on your readings or possibly on a web site.
The questions will typically be narrow in focus, and your paper should
follow suite. The thesis you maintain in your paper should be supported
with facts from the readings and from quotes where appropriate, both the
facts and the quotes need citations. The paper, however, should not be
one long quotation.
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Formatting:
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Header: start with a simple heading at
the top of the page giving your name, course number, the number of the
assignment (e.g. Paper #6), a word count, etc.
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Citations: for citations from our textbooks,
give the author's name and the page number; for other citations, follow
standard format, e.g. APA, MLA, etc, but note that I prefer italicizing
titles, etc. to underlining. There will be a post in the discussion folder
with examples for your aid.
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Spacing & Font: you may use any font,
point size, or line spacing that you want--within reason, that is.
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Submission: A paper copy is due at the
beginning of the class period. An electronic copy of each paper is also
required and should be submitted within 24 hours of the due date for the
paper copy; note that there is a two letter grade deduction for failure
to submit an electronic copy.
Attendance:
Regular attendance and participation are essential for the success of the
whole class. More than three unexcused absences will be considered
excessive, and no make-up work will be accepted for unexcused absences.
Each unexcused absence past three will result in a deduction of 5 points
from the total number of points one has at the end of the semester. If
you are ill, e-mail me before class, if possible, or as soon as you are
able.
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.
Unit I: From Romulus to
the Rubicon (753-49 BC)
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Reading assignments (click
here for specific due dates):
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Kebric, Chapters 1-2
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Scarre, pp. 12-15, 20-27, and 49 (map)
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Shelton, Chapters I; IV # 79-96 (pp. 59-71);
VIII-IX; XV #402-404 (pp. 360-363), #412-428 (pp. 369-386), and #455-459
(pp. 417-420)
Unit II: From Caesar to Vespasian
(49 BC - 69 AD)
Unit III: From Vespasian to
Constantine (69 - 337 AD)
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Reading Assignments (click
here for specific due dates):
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Kebric, Chapters 6-9
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Scarre, 56-57, 60-61, 64-73, 88-127
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Shelton, Chapters V #109-133 (pp. 85-99), and
XV #444-453 (pp. 406-416)
Unit IIII: Leisure and Entertainment