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. 

By the end of this course, students should be able to

1. identify and critically assess ancient primary sources as well as secondary scholarship, and distinguish the former from the latter;

2. confront and discuss major historical problems and scholarly controversies;

3. speak write with some authority on the period of history under study;

4. speak more effectively and write more effectively and critically. 

1. Tutorial presentation (15%)  (Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 4)
2. 2500-word essay (40%)  (Learning outomes 2, 3 and 4)
3. Final exam (35%) (Learning outcomes 2, 3 and 4)
4. Tutorial participation (10%) (Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 4)

Two lectures per week (1 hour each) for a total of 24, and approximately one tutorial (1 hour) per week.

Students can expect to undertake approximately 7-9 hours of study per week outside class time.

ANCH1014 Rome: Republic to Empire

Readings posted on Wattle.