By the end of the second century BCE, Rome was the greatest power in the Mediterranean World, and the master of a vast Empire. Yet, less than a century later, the Republican political system had disintegrated amid a series of horrifying civil wars. In its place, a veiled autocracy was established, with Augustus as the first emperor. Why was the Republican political system, which had delivered such stunning successes abroad, torn apart from within?  And how did Augustus manage to secure and consolidate power, in spite of the traditional Roman distrust of autocracy?  In this course, we shall attempt to answer these questions.  In doing so, special attention will be given to various key aspects of the social history of the Roman World, and their interaction with political and military events.

Upon satisfying the requirements for this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

• speak with some authority on the periods of history under study;
• think critically and analytically about historical problems and issues;
• write more effectively and critically;
• distinguish between primary and secondary sources and critically evaluate them

One 2,500 word essay (40%), tutorial participation (10%), tutorial presentation (10%) and a two hour examination (40%).

On campus.

Approx. 3 contact hours per week (two lectures and one tutorial), generating 6-9 hours of preparation time.

HIST1019

Sallust, Catiline's War, The Jugurthine War, Histories, trans. A.J. Woodman

Plutarch, The Fall of the Roman Republic, trans. R. Warner

Plutarch, Makers of Rome, trans. I. Scott-Kilvert

Cicero, Selected Political Speeches, trans. M. Grant

Dio Cassius, The Roman History: The Reign of Augustus, trans. I. Scott-Kilvert

Additional readings on Wattle

Crawford, M., The Roman Republic, Fontana, London, 1992, 2nd edition.

Eck, W., The Age of Augustus, Blackwell, Oxford, 2003.