The course is intended as a general overview on Roman history and will take into consideration the history of the city of Rome and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. The first part of the course will focus on the founding of the city and the birth of the Republic with a special attention to cultural, political and artistic achievements, which will be examined also through readings from Latin authors. From the early Empire to its collapse, the second part of the course will analyze the political expansion of the Empire with a more detailed look at the most significant emperors. Moreover, the army organization, the limes and the religious institutions will be also examined as fundamental elements of Roman history and culture.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
identify the chronological sequence of ancient Rome history
correctly link historical events to relevant monuments and topography of the city
manage the general overview of the political development of ancient Rome
recognize the connection between Roman art and architecture and political propaganda
understand the significance of Roman culture and its impact on modern Western civilizations
get acquainted with the main ancient and modern sources in order to be able to continue research on any topic of interest
Method of presentation:
Lectures, visual presentations, field studies to archaeological sites, monuments and museums, student presentations.
Field study:
In the following field studies, the archaeological sites, monuments and museums will be approached by focusing mainly on the specific historical related subjects which will be examined during classes:
Capitoline Museums
Museum of Palazzo Massimo
Villa Giulia Museum
The Etruscan Necropoleis of Cerveteri and Tarquinia (Friday, all day).
Colosseum
Ara Pacis and the Mausoleum of Augustus
TBA
Required work and form of assessment:
Class participation (15%)
Mid-term exam (20%)
Oral presentation on a topic chosen with the professor (10%)
Followed by a research paper (25%)
Final exam (30%)
The mid-term and final exams are based on a mix of multiple choice, Q&A, open answer questions and picture ID.
content:
Week 1.
Session 1: general overview of the course, main chronological eras, sources.
Session 2: The founding of the city: Romulus, the Kings and the pre-Roman populations. The conquest of the Italian peninsula.
Reading assignment: The Romans: up to p.59
Week 2.
Session 1: Social and political organization of early Rome.
Session 2: field study, Capitoline Museums
Reading assignment: The Romans: pp.60-96.
Week 3.
Session 1: The birth of the Republic: political institutions of the republican era. The everyday life: a day in ancient Rome.
Session 2: field study: Palazzo Massimo
Week 4.
Session 1: The conquest of the Greek world. The Punic Wars.
Session 2: field study, Museo di Villa Giulia/Cerveteri (Friday)
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.97-153
Week 5.
Session 1: The decline of the Republic: the Gracchi brothers.
Session 2. Gaius Marius, Sulla, Spartacus and the slave revolt.
Reading assignment: The Romans 154-224.
Week 6.
Session 1: Review session.
Session 2: Mid Term exam.
Week 7.
Session 1: The era of Julius Caesar
Session 2: The aftermath of Julius Caesar’s death: the rivalry between Marc Anthony and Octavian. Augustus and the beginning of an empire.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.225-316.
Week 8.
Session 1: The Julio-Claudian emperors: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero.
Session 2: field study, Ara Pacis & Mausoleum of Augustus
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.317-352
Week 9.
Session 1: the Flavians, a new dynasty of emperors: Vespasian, Titus, Domitian.
Session 2: field study : Colosseum
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.353-392
Week 10.
Session 1: The five good emperors: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius; Imperial Rome: culture and life (Literature, Philosophy, Art).
Session 2: The Severi and the Constitutio Antoniniana, the crisis of the Third Century, the Tetrarchy
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.393-446
Week 11.
Session 1: Constantine
Session 2: field study: Imperial Fora.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.447-457
Week 12.
Session 1: the Collapse of the Roman empire
Session 2: Review session
Week 13.
Final Exam
Required readings:
Boatwright M.T., Gargola, D.J. and Talbert R.J.A., The Romans: from village to empire, Oxford University Press, 2012.
Anthology of Latin Writers and further readings will be indicated during the course.
Notes:
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Valentina Follo obtained her master’s degree in classical archaeology at La Sapienza in Rome, and a master’s in pedagogy of antiquity at the University of Ferrara. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Art & Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. Valentina has published on both the reaffirmation and the repudiation of ancient Greco-Roman models in early modern and contemporary art and architectural practices.
Ancient Rome: History And Myth
The course is intended as a general overview on Roman history and will take into consideration the history of the city of Rome and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. The first part of the course will focus on the founding of the city and the birth of the Republic with a special attention to cultural, political and artistic achievements, which will be examined also through readings from Latin authors. From the early Empire to its collapse, the second part of the course will analyze the political expansion of the Empire with a more detailed look at the most significant emperors. Moreover, the army organization, the limes and the religious institutions will be also examined as fundamental elements of Roman history and culture.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Lectures, visual presentations, field studies to archaeological sites, monuments and museums, student presentations.
In the following field studies, the archaeological sites, monuments and museums will be approached by focusing mainly on the specific historical related subjects which will be examined during classes:
The mid-term and final exams are based on a mix of multiple choice, Q&A, open answer questions and picture ID.
Week 1.
Reading assignment: The Romans: up to p.59
Week 2.
Reading assignment: The Romans: pp.60-96.
Week 3.
Week 4.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.97-153
Week 5.
Reading assignment: The Romans 154-224.
Week 6.
Week 7.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.225-316.
Week 8.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.317-352
Week 9.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.353-392
Week 10.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.393-446
Week 11.
Reading assignment: The Romans pp.447-457
Week 12.
Week 13.
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
Valentina Follo obtained her master’s degree in classical archaeology at La Sapienza in Rome, and a master’s in pedagogy of antiquity at the University of Ferrara. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Art & Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. Valentina has published on both the reaffirmation and the repudiation of ancient Greco-Roman models in early modern and contemporary art and architectural practices.