2009 Fall CLST 137S-01
Bulletin Course Description Investigation into a topic chosen from Roman history from Romulus to Justinian. Topics might include the Roman military, the lives of provincials and freedmen, women in Roman politics and society, games and spectacles, imperial dynasties, the rise and triumph of Christianity, Roman law, and the emergence of Byzantium vel sim. Instructor: Boatwright or Staff
(Instructor named in bulletin description above may not be current. For current instructor, see listing below.)
Title SPECIAL STUDIES: ROMAN HISTORY Department CLST Course Number 2009 Fall 137S Section Number 01 Primary Instructor Atkins,Jed W Prerequisites
Synopsis of course content
Political theorists from Machiavelli to the present have turned to the writings of the Romans to stimulate their own thinking about politics and society. In this course, we will explore Roman contributions to political thought through a close reading of a range of works by such authors as Polybius, Lucretius, Cicero, Livy, Seneca, Epictetus, and St. Augustine. These texts engage in depth with a number of political issues that continue to concern us today: consent, legitimacy, and rights; the nature of law; human nature, dignity, and autonomy; regime change; the necessary conditions for liberty; religion and politics; and the connection between civic virtue and a stable political order.
Several of these Roman thinkers bring Roman history to bear on their theory in important ways. Indeed, one of our main concerns will be to consider the contribution of historical analysis to political philosophy. We will also assess how Roman political thought differed from Greek political thought and explore what original contributions Roman thinkers made to the history of political thought. Finally, we will consider select interpretations of these texts offered by historians and political theorists, and reflect on ways in which careful readings of these historical texts might benefit us today.
Textbooks
Aristotle, Politics, T.A. Sinclair, trans. and T.J. Saunders, ed. (Penguin, 1981)
St. Augustine, The City of God against the Pagans, R.W. Dyson, ed. (Cambridge, 1998)
Cicero, On the Commonwealth and On the Laws, James Zetzel, ed. (Cambridge, 1999)
Cicero, On Duties, E.M. Atkins and M.T. Griffin, eds. (Cambridge, 1991)
Epictetus, Discourses of Epictetus-Handbook-Fragments, C. Gill and R. Hard, eds. (Everyman’s Library, 1995)
Livy, The History of Rome: Books 1-5, V.M. Warrior, trans. (Hackett, 2006)
Seneca, Moral and Political Essays, J. Cooper and F. Procope, eds. (Cambridge, 1995)
Assignments
Daily preparation of assigned readings and participation in class discussion
Participation in one small-group supervision ‘tutorial’
Exams
Midterm and Final Exams
Term Papers
2 papers (6-8 pp) on assigned topics
Grade to be based on
Attendance and participation: 10%
Papers: 20% each
Midterm Exam: 15%
Final Exam: 25%
Supervision: 10%
