Time Schedule:
Sandra R. Joshel
HSTAM 313
Seattle Campus
Political, social, and cultural history, with special emphasis on the period of Cicero and Caesar.
Class description
HSTAM 313 is a survey of the early Roman Empire from the death of Caesar to the death of Commodus (44 B.C.E.-193 C.E.). The first half of the course focuses on political developments: the struggles that brought Augustus to power, the development of imperial institutions, the growth of the emperor's power, and the conflict between the emperor and the senatorial class. The second half of the course is a social and cultural history. We shall begin with Roman perception of barbarians, those outside the empire, and then turn to the means by which those inside the empire were ruled. Next, we shall look at social life within the empire--citizenship and privilege, slaves and freedmen, family and social life, and religious practices. Two thematic concerns inform the approach to imperial political and social history: 1) the organization and practice of power and 2) its representation in the writing of history and fiction.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Lecture and discussion
Recommended preparation
None
Class assignments and grading
Exams and essays
Participation in Discussion Sections Short Exam Mid-Term Essay Final Exam
