This course examines the institutions, organisation and society of the Roman Empire during the first century A.D. to the beginning of the second century.  The approach to the period will be primarily through literary sources in translation, including especially Tacitus and Suetonius.

Course Syllabus

This course will cover the following topics in tutorials and lectures:

• 1. Tacitus and the historiography of the early Roman Empire.
• 2. The reign of Tiberius.
• 3. The reign of Caligula.
• 4. The reign of Claudius.
• 5. The reign of Nero.
• 6. The reign of Vespasian.
• 7. The reigns of Titus and Domitian.
• 8. The reigns of Trajan and Hadrian.
• 9. Roman Realities I: The Rich and the Poor.
• 10. Roman Realities II: The Aristocracy and Social Mobility.
• 11. The Urbanization of the Roman Empire.
• 12. The destruction of Pompeii.
• 13. The Colosseum.
• 14. Rome encounters the provincial ‘Other' I: The Germans.
• 15. Rome encounters the provincial ‘Other' II: The Jews.

Promote critical skills in assessing ancient primary sources as well as secondary scholarship.

Confront major historical problems /scholarly controversies and come to well-reasoned conclusions about possible solutions.