The Roman Republic (original) (raw)

Overview This course will examine the history of Rome from its foundation in 753 BC, to its transformation into an Empire by AD 14. We will look at the idealism of the Republican political structurean idealism borrowed in 1776 to create the American Constitutionand we will trace Rome's transition from an insular polity concerned with local affairs to its undisputed mastery of the Mediterranean. The course will focus on key events in Republican history which came to define Rome's militaristic, aggressive identity, such as the Second Punic War. We will also look to more recent events as we discuss the role of corporate greed, failures in political morality, debt, and economic issues in triggering the collapse of the Republic and the emergence of a dictatorial monarchythe Empire. The continuation of this course is CLCV HIST 2905A, The Roman Empire, which will be offered in the Winter of 2016. Main problems, questions and themes These are some of the questions and problems we will consider throughout this course. Keep them in mind for your tests and essays. Rome. What did it mean to be Roman at various points in history? How did the Rome of 500AD differ from the Rome of 100BC? In what ways was the late Republic different to the early Republic? How did this affect peoples' perceptions of themselves as "Romans"? What is the legacycultural, political, legal, etc.of Rome to the world today? Historians and historiography. This course places a certain amount of emphasis on the writing of history. How do we evaluate the testimonies, histories and accounts of the Roman Republic? What are some of the main problems? How have pictures of Rome been skewed by other concerns, in both modern and ancient historiography?