Link to Vanderbilt Classical Studies Home Page
Schedule
(textbooks: WR = The World of Rome; H = The Historians of Ancient Rome; CP = Class Pak; Plut = Plutarch, Roman Lives; Aeneid = Aeneid: A New Prose Translation)
Please note that citations in WR and Plut refer to chapters, NOT pages.
For each session:
QUIZ QUESTIONS are in blue, whose answers you will have to prepare for every multiple-choice quiz.
STUDY TERMS are in red, crucial terms, events, or people you will have to identify and contextualize on midterm and final exams.
STUDY QUESTIONS are in brown, to orient you through your readings for days in which there are no quizzes.
Thu Aug 26Introduction survey of Roman history; conservatism and "progressivism".NO READING ASSIGNMENT
WEEK TWO
Tue Aug 31Foundation of Rome: fabula as history; archeological evidence.Origins: WR, 1-9; Relation of king to citizens: WR, 10-11; Aeneas and Romulus as complementary founders: Livy, 1.1-7 (H, pp. 150-56); Romulus and Numa as regal prototypes: Livy, 1.8-21 (H, pp. 156-67).
According to WR, what was so unique about the Romans' foundation myths?
According to Livy, why did the Italian king Latinus welcome Aeneas and his Trojan refugees?
What was the family background of Romulus and Remus?
Why did the neighboring nations make war on Rome almost as soon as it was founded?
How did Numa's priorities differ from those of Romulus?
Aeneas; Romulus and Remus; Numa
Thu Sep 2
Etruscan domination and defamation.Indifference towards Tarquinius Priscus and praise of Servius Tullius: Livy, 1.34-48 (H, pp. 179-92); the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus and the revolt of Lucius Brutus: WR, 12; Livy, 1.49-60 (H, pp. 192-98).
According to Livy (par. 34), why did Lucumo move to Rome?
In par. 36, how did Tarquinius Priscus respond to Attus Naevius' warnings?
How does Livy compare Tarquinius Priscus to his successor, Servius?
What was the final crime that prompted the overthrow of Tarquinius Superbus' monarchy?
Tarquinius Priscus; Servius Tullius; Tarquinius Superbus; Lucretia; Lucius Brutus
Tue Sep 7Republican leadership and Roman expectationsconsuls, praetors, tribunes, and dictators:WR, 13-23; 130-35; 137; imperium: 118-20; Popular Assemblies: WR, 158-64; censors as moral supervisors: 139-41; auctoritas of the Senate: WR, 166-72.
Under the new constitution of the Roman Republic, what was the main function of the consuls?
Why did the tribunes of the plebs have so much influence over Roman politics?
Why did the censors have so much influence over Roman politics?
Between which two social groupings did the "Conflict of the Orders" take place from 494 to 287 B.C.?
What was the constitutional role of the Roman Senate?
patrician; plebeian; tribune of the plebs; consuls; dictator; censor; imperium; Senate; auctoritas.
Thu Sep 9
Public religion and family: State prescriptions for ensuring material prosperity.CP, Appendix 1 (pp. 40-43); triumph: WR, 121-26; patria potestas: WR, 308-20; house as a mini-State: WR, 325-29; Republican exempla: Brutus, Cocles, and Mucius : Livy, 2.3-5, 9-12 (H, pp. 200-02, 205-09).
Whom was a military general leading a ceremonial "triumph" supposed to represent?
What was an evocatio?
How much power did patria potestas give a pater familias?
Why did Livy celebrate Cocles and Mucius as folklore Roman heroes? What common quality do they show?
cultus; pietas; evocatio; paterfamilias; patria potestas
WEEK FOUR
Tue Sep 14Expansion of Roman horizons: Italy, Carthage, GreeceMediterranean power: WR, 24-42; Hannibal: Livy, 21.1-4, 22.50-51 (H, pp. 247-49, 303-05); Greece "liberated": Livy, 33.32-33 (H, pp. 328-29); moral decline: Sallust, 6-13 (H, pp. 80-84).
Why did Rome extend grants of citizenship to most conquered Italian cities?
How does Livy characterize Hannibal in Book 21.4 (p. 249)?
According to Livy, 22.51, why was Hannibal reluctant to march on Rome after his crushing victory at Cannae?
How was Flamininus' "liberation speech" received by the Greeks in 196?
According to Sallust, when did the moral fabric of the traditional Roman character begin to decline?
fides; Punic Wars; Hannibal; Battle of Cannae; Battle of Zama; T. Quinctius Flamininus
Thu Sep 16
Expansion of Roman ethics: Cato the ElderGreek and Roman values: WR, 378-79; Cato: WR, 43-44; Plut, "Cato," 1-4, 16-20, 22-23, 25-27; lex Oppia repealed: Livy, 34.1-8 (H, pp. 331-39).
How differently did Pliny feel about Greek culture than Cato did (cf. WR)?
According to Plutarch, why was Cato different from all other politicians?
According to Livy's account, why did Cato speak against the repeal of the lex Oppia?
Why was the lex Oppia in fact repealed?
lex Oppia; gravitas.
Tue Sep 21The dawn of Roman literature: tragedy, comedy, and rhetoric.Prejudices and adaptations: WR, 428-38; first examples: Ennius and Terence (CP, pp. 1-4); new rhetorical techniques: Cicero (CP, pp. 5-8).
According to WR, why did Roman men feel ashamed to read and write literature?
In Terence's Brothers, how are Micio and his brother Demea differently characterized?
In Terence's Brothers, who ultimately wins?
In Cicero's speech For Caelius, how does Cicero personify the famous censor Claudius Caecus ("the blind") in directly addressing Clodia?
Is Cicero's defense of his client Caelius based on youth, self-defense, or temporary insanity?
Demea and Micio in "Brothers"; Cicero's defence of Caelius; Handbook Ad Herennium ("For Herennius").
Thu Sep 23 Review quiz: 20 minutes
1 of the following id's which I will select: one sentence to define the term, with dates and detail; one more to explain its relevance to our course, in what context we introduced it and/or any other aspect of Roman culture it can illustrate):
1) Lucretia 2) paterfamilias 3) tribune of the plebs
I out of 2 of the following essay questions which I will select: a very brief intro to anticipate your conclusion; 3-4 paragraphs of argument, each of which provides a different step of your answer, with little generalization but with plenty of examples to back up your conclusion; 1-2 sentence conclusion that does not simply repeat the intro, but rather amplifies it, preferably with allusions to further cultural contexts evoked by the question.
1) Why did Livy's account of the foundation of Rome become the most popular?
2) Why was there no separation of "Church and State" in Republican Rome?
3) What was the Roman stereotype of a foreigner? Look for overlap in the Roman reactions against Greek, Carthaginian and/or Etruscan culture.
4) What traits of Livy's portrait of Romulus can you find in Plutarch's of Cato?
5) How did the first Roman literature reflect traditionally Roman ideals?
The plight of the poor.
Gracchi brothers and the redistribution of public land: WR, 45-49; Plut, "Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus"
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY'S READING:
Why was the Senate so hostile to the policies of Tiberius Gracchus?
How did Tiberius circumvent the opposition of his fellow tribune, Octavius?
By what authority did Scipio Nasica lead the lynching of Tiberius and his supporters?
How did Gaius expand his political platform beyond the land distribution bill of his brother?
Who led the lynching of Gaius and his supporters, and what happened to him afterwards?
populares; optimates; Tiberius Gracchus; Scipio Nasica; Gaius Gracchus; Lucius Opimius
WEEK SIX
Tue Sep 28Civil war between Marius and SullaMarius and the army: WR, 50-52, 173-77; backlash against optimates: Sallust (CP, pp. 9-10); career: Plut, "Marius," 2-3, 7-12, 28-35; Marius' reign of terror in Sulla's absence: Plut,"Marius," 43-45; Social War and the emergence of Sulla as invader and dictator: WR, 56-60.
Why was Jugurtha so successful against the optimates military leaders that had preceded Marius?
According to Sallust, how did Marius promise to be more effective than the optimates in fighting Jugurtha?
According to WR, 173-77, how did Marius reform the army?
According to Plutarch's biography of Marius, why did Marius lose in the 90's the popularity he had gained in the 100's B.C?
For what specific grievance did Sulla take the unprecedented step of marching his troops on Rome?
Marius; Jugurtha; Sulla
Thu Sep 30
Pompey "the Great": imperium maiusMilitary rise: WR, 61-65; Plut, "Pompey," 21-25; 30; extraordinary provincia: WR, 150-52; early career of Caesar: Plut, "Caesar," 1-5, 15-18; political fall of Pompey: WR, 69-71; Plut, "Pompey," 43-54.
How did Pompey rise to become the most popular man in Rome by 68 B.C?
Why was Pompey granted imperium over the entire Mediterranean Sea?
What distinctive qualities does Plutarch emphasize in the early career of Julius Caesar?
Why did Pompey become less popular with the masses than Caesar in the 50's B.C. (see esp. Plut., 47-48)?
Pompeius (Pompey); Theater of Pompey; First Triumvirate; Cato the Younger; Battle of Carrhae
Tue Oct 5Julius Caesar: a New Roman Hero.Caesar's industria over Cato the Younger's gravitas; Sallust, 50-54 (H, pp.100-04); Cato's optimates vs. Caesar'spopulares: WR, 72-73, Plut, "Caesar," 28-34, 40-46, 54-69.
How does Plutarch contrast Caesar and Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus?
How did Caesar exploit his position as dictator after defeating Pompey?
Why was Caesar eventually assassinated by a group of senators?
What does Julius Caesar propose in his speech on the fate of the Catilinarian conspirators?
What is Caesar afraid of if they execute the prisoners without appeal?
In reply, with what arguments does Cato the Younger oppose him?
How do Caesar and Cato exemplify different ideals?
industria; battle of Pharsalus; Julius Caesar's dictatorship
Thu Oct 7
Midterm exam (bring blue book)
WEEK EIGHT
Tue Oct 12Republican private literature: nostalgia and escapismPrinciples of composition:WR, 442-47; love poetry: Catullus (CP, pp. 11-14).
According to WR, 442-47, how did the increasing popularity of rhetorical training affect the way Romans composed poetry?
What is the general topic of all of Catullus' poems, apart from #1 and #95?
In poem #8, how does Catullus respond to rejection?
In poem #11, why does Catullus address his friends Furius and Aurelius?
How does the conclusion to Sappho's poem differ from that to Catullus' imitatio, #51?
otium; Lesbia
Thu Oct 14
Epicureanism: the philosophy of otium.Epicurus' Greek philosophy: http://www.epicurus.info/etexts/ier.html; Lucretius' Roman adaptation: Lucretius (CP, pp. 15-19).
NOT MULTIPLE CHOICE: prepare a 4-5 line answer.
Why does Lucretius begin his poem by celebrating the power of Venus? What does he want from her in return?
For what great achievement does Lucretius pay homage to "a man of Greece" (see end of first passage)?
How does Lucretius try to prove in the second passage that we are all made of atoms, even if we cannot see them?
How does Lucretius convey at 2.1-79 and 3.1-30 the pleasures of Epicureanism?
Epicureanism; Lucretius' "On the Nature of Things"; Lucretius' "Hymn to Venus"
Tue Oct 19no class - October Mini Break
Thu Oct 21
Overthrow and "restoration" of the RepublicSecond Triumvirate and Cleopatra: WR, 74-78; Plut, "Antony," 16-29, 50-54; 58; utopianism: Virgil, Eclogue 4, and Horace, Epode 16 (CP, pp. 20-21).
Who were Antony and Octavian with respect to Julius Caesar?
Between whom did the Battle of Actium take place?
What is the only remedy to the crisis of civil war Horace can propose in Epode 16?
In Virgil's 4th Eclogue, what will happen to the world when the "boy" becomes a "man"?
How did Antony's relationship with Cleopatra enable Octavian to damage his reputation?
Second Triumvirate; Antonius (Antony); Battle of Actium
WEEK TEN
Tue Oct 26Transition from Republic to Empire: Augustan politicsTimeline: Appendix 2a (CP, p. 44); Octavian becomes "Augustus," with pseudo-dictatorial powers: WR, 79-82, 153-56; campaigns: WR, 87-88; balancing act between Senate, army, and equites: WR, 187-92; Augustus' spin: Achievements (H, pp. 356-64), and Tacitus' cynicism: Tacitus, Annals, 1.1-2 (H, p. 417).
What magistracies did Augustus assume in order to maintain absolute power without having to be named dictator?
Behind the propaganda, which real political functions did Augustus restore to the Senate?
How does Augustus portray his seizure of power at the start of his Achievements?
How does Augustus describe the extent of his power at the end of his Achievements?
What general practice does Augustus boast of in Achievements, 15-18; 22-23 ?
"Augustus"; tribunician potestas; imperium pro consule; Augustan Military Treasury
Thu Oct 28
Augustus' manipulation of the visual and literary arts.Augustan image: Achievements, 7, 19-21; art and architecture: WR, 83-85, 128, 475-79; paid poetry: Horace, Odes, 1-3 (CP, pp. 22-24); lex Julia: WR, 322-24; CP, p. 26.
How many temples does Augustus claim to have restored in Achievements, 19-21?
According to WR, which historical event did the "statue of Augustus from Prima Porta" commemorate?
What is Horace's approach to life in the first two poems given in Book 1 of his Odes?
How is Cleopatra characterized in Ode 1.37?
Why does Horace refuse to write an epic celebration of Agrippa and Augustus in Ode 1.6?
Ara Pacis; Forum of Augustus; "Prima Porta" portrait; Horace's otium; recusatio; lex Julia.
Tue Nov 2Augustus and the Aeneidworship: Horace, Odes, 4 (CP, p. 25); Aeneas as anti-hero: Aeneid, Books 1-2 (pp. 3-47) [for plot and characters of the Aeneid consult Aeneid, introduction (pp. x-xxxvi) and chart 3 (CP, p. 48)].
How does Horace address and portray Augustus in Book 4 of his Odes?
What specifically does Virgil ask of his "Muse" in the beginning verses of his Aeneid (1.1-34)?
How is Aeneas first characterized at 1.82-103?
At 1. 224-296, how does Jupiter reassure Aeneas' worried mother, Venus?
In Book 2, how does Aeneas react when he realizes the Greeks are taking over Troy?
Horace's 4th Book of Odes; Aeneas in Troy (Book 2)
Thu Nov 4
Dido and Aeneas as tragic heroine vs. pious hero.Aeneas' choice: Aeneid 4 (pp. 69-89); Aeneas' transition: 6.450-902 (pp. 127-40).
In Book 4, why does Aeneas decide to leave Dido?
In Book 4, how is Dido portrayed after Aeneas dumps her?
In Book 6, how does Dido respond to Aeneas' apology?
In Book 6, what do the ghosts whom Anchises points out to Aeneas all have in common?
Dido; furor.
WEEK TWELVE
Tue Nov 9Aeneid as the story of civil war.impious beginning of the war: Aeneid, 7.1-641 (pp. 141-59); Evander, Pallas, Aeneas, and the site of Rome: 8 (pp. 165-86).
Who is primarily responsible for instigating the war between Trojans and Italians in Book 7?
What is the one event in Book 7 that sparks the opening of hostilities?
In Book 8, how strong is the relationship between Evander and his son, Pallas?
What are the images emblazoned upon Aeneas' Shield at the end of Book 8?
Allecto; Juno in the Aeneid; Shield of Aeneas
Thu Nov 11
Aeneid as a religious statementassembly of the gods: 10.1-117 (pp. 211-14); virtue of Aeneas: 11.100-139 (pp. 241-42); unheroic conclusion: Aeneid, 12 (pp. 264-90).
In Book 10, how does Jupiter adjudicate between the claims of Venus and Juno?
In the assigned passage of Book 11, how does Aeneas respond to the Italian requests for peace?
In the beginning of Book 12, how do Latinus and Amata behave towards Turnus?
How does Jupiter reach a compromise with Juno at the end of Book 12?
What is the last impression Virgil gives us of Aeneas?
Turnus
Review quiz: 15 minutes
I out of 2 of the following essay questions which I will select: a very brief intro to anticipate your conclusion; 3-4 paragraphs of argument, each of which provides a different step of your answer, with little generalization but with plenty of examples to back up your conclusion; 1-2 sentence conclusion that does not simply repeat the intro, but rather amplifies it, preferably with allusions to further cultural contexts evoked by the question.
1) How does a comparison between the poetry of the thirties B.C. (CP, pp. 20-21) and the fifties B.C. (CP, pp. 11-19) reflect an increase in public pessimism and despair?
2) How did Augustus' Achievements try to appeal to different sections of Roman society?
3) What overlap do you find between Augustus' building program and Horace's first three books of Odes (CP, pp. 22-24), in terms of the motifs, images, and message?
4) Is the Aeneid's flattery of its sponsor any different that of Odes, Book 4 (CP, p. 25)? Compare two passages that celebrate Augustus and his pax Augusta.
5) How consistent is Dido's character in Aeneid, Book 4? Compare two passages that make Dido look attractive and repulsive, and try to reconcile or explain the differences.
6) How does Aeneas change between the first and the second half of the Aeneid? Compare two representative passages in depth.
Tiberius: no place for a RepublicanTiberius' accession: WR, 89; 341 (cf. in CP chart 2, p. 48, and Appendix 2b, p. 44); tensions with Senate: WR, 90, 188; Tiberius, Germanicus, and Sejanus: Tacitus, Annals, 1.11-33, 3.1-6, 4.1-12 (H, pp. 423-26, 437-39, 445-50).
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY'S READING:
Whom did Augustus prefer to Tiberius to succeed him as princeps?
How did Tiberius as princeps treat the Senate?
By what dramatic act was Germanicus able to suppress the mutiny of the German legions?
What was Tiberius' public reaction to Germanicus' death?
How did Aelius Sejanus become the most powerful man in Rome?
Tacitus' figure of Tiberius; Germanicus; Sejanus
Thu Nov 18
Nero's populism and the Stoic reactionNero's reign: WR, 98-100; Annals, 13.1-15.44 (H, pp. 463-74); conservative opposition: Seneca and Lucan (CP, pp. 27-32); WR, 387.
According to WR, what did Roman aristocrats find most offensive about Nero as emperor?
According to Tacitus, how did Nero treat those who had lost their homes in the "Great Fire" of 64?
Why does Seneca in CP admire Cato the Younger?
How does Lucan contrast Julius Caesar with Pompey?
Nero's Domus Aurea ("Golden Palace"); Nero's tour of Greece; Lucan's figure of Cato; Lucan's figure of Julius Caesar
WEEK FOURTEEN
Tue Nov 302nd-century pax RomanaRevival and integration of West: WR, 102-14; Tacitus, Agricola, 1-3, 19-21 (H, pp. 394-95, 403-04); Trajan's column: WR, 486 (see images on pp. 122-25); Trajan's micromanagement: Pliny (CP, pp. 33-34).
According to WR, 102-14, what was the most important law passed by Vespasian?
What military campaign does Trajan's column celebrate?
According to Tacitus, how did his father-in-law Agricola restore peace to Britain?
In letter 33, what request does Pliny as governor of Bithynia make of Trajan?
In letter 96, what request does Pliny as governor of Bithynia make of Trajan?
lex de imperio Vespasiani; Trajan; Trajan's column; Trajan's Forum
Thu Dec 2 (paper due)
The export of public and private Romanization.Hadrian: Life of Hadrian, 1-13 (H, pp. 493-502); government, city planning, baths, theater, amphitheater and circus: WR, 98, 218, 484; appendix 3 (CP, pp. 45-47); Commodus: WR, 106.
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY'S READING:
According to the anonymous writer of Hadrian's biography, what did Hadrian feel about Greek culture?
In CP, how does Seneca contrast baths of past and present?
Why was the regular celebration of games so important to emperors?
How did the emperor Commodus die?
Circus Maximus; Colosseum; Hadrian; Commodus
Tue Dec 7
The import of Eastern religions.Eastern cults: WR, 254-58; Isis: Apuleius (CP, pp. 35-37); an emperor's fascination: Life of Elagabalus (CP, pp. 38-39); Romans vs. Christianity: WR, 382-84.
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY'S READING:
Why was Rome so receptive to different religious beliefs?
What attracted Romans to Eastern cults like Cybele, Bacchus/Dionysus, Mithras, Isis -- and even Christ?
In Apuleius' story of Lucius' vision (CP, p. 36), how different does Isis seem from traditional Roman gods?
How do Isis' ceremonies (CP, p. 37) blend public ceremony with private initiation?
Who were Elagabalus the god and Elagabalus the man (CP, p. 38)?
"mystery" cults; Isis; Elagabalus.
Thu Dec 9
Fall of Classical Romefragmentation and decline: WR, 115-117; after the fall of Rome: 493-96.
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY'S READING:
When did persecutions of Christians cease?
Why were German tribes increasingly aggressive in the fourth and fifith centuries?
Which city did the Eastern half of the Empire choose as its capital?
Constantine; Theodosius