The Early Empire (~30 BC to 180 AD)

• 2nd c. AD: why called the "golden age;" what areas did the Roman empire encompass then?
• Augustus
• who was he related to; whom did he fight before becoming the head of the Roman state?
• what were the keys to his power? What was his title?
• what did people gain from his rule? What did they lose?
• After Augustus
• what were the keys to success for the Roman empire? And why?

• The nature of the evidence
• what are the types of evidence we have
• strengths or weaknesses of the evidence
• The Ideal Roman
• Key Roman virtues
• Place of tradition
• Class Structure
• three main factors
• three main 'classes' and their distinctions
• position of slaves and freedmen/women
• Patron/Client
• definition
• how do each benefit

• The Calendar, etc.
• three key days of the Roman month (origin, function)
• Nundinae-what are they
• hours: how divided, how different from modern
• types of clocks (reliability?)
• The Roman Male
• the beginning of the day: bedroom & bed like? sleeps in? time gets up? puts on? washing?
• basic tasks of the day for rich and poor
• the baths (see later)
• dinner (see later)
• The Barber
• services provided
• instruments used
• The Roman Female
• the beginning of the day: bedroom & bed like? sleeps in? time gets up? puts on? washing?
• basic tasks of the day for rich and poor
• hair care and make-up
• The Baths
• what were they like (physical environment);
• who attended  and when
• what one did at the baths (basic rooms, etc.)
• implications of all of the above)

• Basics:
• food preservation, methods
• food cooking, methods
• Meals
• number, times, what eaten and drunk typically, length
• where eaten, with whom, how (seated?), with what utensils, clean up?
• menus: for poor, for rich
• entertainment at
• customs at
• implications

• If it were possible for you to be given the opportunity to spend a year abroad in ancient Rome, would you do it, based on what you know of Roman society to date? In your answer make sure you give specific examples from a broad selection of the material which we have covered about ancient Rome in coming to a reasoned decision about this opportunity. For the question we shall assume that you would come as yourself, but will be given the opportunity to choose any Roman social class.

• One aspect of Roman society that is very different from many modern societies is their approach to time. In your essay examine what affect the Roman approach to time had on various aspects of Roman society which we have looked at so far. In your essay also look at what are some of the reasons why the Roman approach to time was different from that of many modern societies.