University of Southern California
CLASSICS 151g: THE CIVILIZATION OF ROME
Fall 2016 TuTh 11 a.m. - 12:20 pm Taper 101
TEACHING STAFF
Professor Thomas Habinek
Department of Classics, Taper 256
Office Hours: Tuesday 1 - 3 pm or by appointment
email: habinek@usc.edu
Teaching Assistants
Louis Palazzo palazzo@usc.edu
Robert Matera matera@usc.edu
Russell Pascatore pascator@usc.edu
GOALS OF THE COURSE
The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to the civilization of ancient Rome and its continuing impact on later cultures. Students will acquire a knowledge of major events, institutions, and ideals from the beginnings of Rome through late antiquity and the emergence of Christianity as a political force. Students will also explore key cultural monuments and practices of the Roman world including, literature, oratory, art, philosophy, spectacle, law, and religion. Special attention will be given to those aspects of classical Roman civilization that have persisted beyond the end of the ancient world. We will consider in particular the interaction between cultural practices or beliefs and historical change: how each one shapes the other within and beyond the Roman world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES IN RELATION TO THE PROGRAM IN GENERAL EDUCATION
The course aims to meet the goals of Category GE-B Humanistic Inquiry as follows:
The course considers an influential culture's understanding of what it means to be human through study of its literature, art, and ideals. The very term "humanity" is a translation and adaptation of a concept articulated by Roman thinkers.
The course helps student cultivate a critical appreciation of exemplary works of literature, art, and philosophy.
The course is organized so as to inform students of the origins and persistence of influential concepts, such as freedom, duty, civilization, virtue, honor, identity, citizenship, and rule of law.
The course requires careful, thoughtful reading of challenging texts of classical literature and written analysis thereof.
Through its focus on the specific conditions under which influential ideas and values developed, the course encourages students to develop a critical perspective on their current validity or relevance.
The course encourages students to learn collaboratively and to appreciate the perspectives of others by participating in structured discussion and debate in section meetings.
The course meets the requirements for the "tag" GE-H Traditions and Historical Foundations by introducing students to key ideas and practices from Roman antiquity that have contributed in significant ways to the shaping of modern civilization. The syllabus is organized around those aspects of Roman experience that have had greatest impact on later generations. A later case study will be provided in lecture or section for most topics, and as one option for the final paper students will have the opportunity to investigate and analyze an instance of Roman influence of their own choosing.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Regular attendance at lecture and section. Asking questions, hearing others' questions asked and answered, and sharing insights are an important part of the learning process.
Advance preparation. Readings should be done prior to or during the week indicated on the Course Schedule. Students should feel free to ask questions about the readings during lectures, discussion sections, and office hours.
Midterm exams. There will be two midterms, as noted on the Course Schedule. These exams will review key concepts from lectures, sections, and readings. They will consist of a mix of short answers or IDs, and short essays.
Reading quizzes. In order to help students keep up with the work during the course of the semester, there will be four short reading quizzes given in section. These will be objective in format.
Final paper. The final paper will allow students to investigate in more detail one aspect of Roman civilization that especially interests them, or to examine an instance of the use of Roman models in a later culture. Suggestions for both possibilities will be provided throughout the semester. Students will be expected to submit a brief proposal concerning the paper and any additional reading it will entail by Week 13. In accordance with General Education guidelines, papers are to be 12-15 pages in length.
Final exam. A final exam, at the scheduled exam time, will review the course material. Like the midterms, it will contain a mix of short answers and essays.
GRADING
Section participation, including quizzes and final paper proposal: 15%
First midterm: 20%
Second midterm: 20%
Final exam: 20%
Final paper: 25%
BOOK LIST
The following books should be purchased if at all possible. They have been ordered through the University bookstore and are also available through on-line outlets.
Allen Mandelbaum, The Aeneid of Virgil: A Verse Translation
University of California Press ISBN 0-520-04550-5
Tacitus, The Annals and the Histories, trans. Church and Brodribb
issued 2003 trade paperback ISBN 0-8129-6699-6 Modern Library Classics/ Random House [it is important to get this translation if at all possible]
Plautus, The Pot of Gold and Other Plays. Penguin UK. ISBN-13: 9780141911229
Sidwell and Jones, The World of Rome. Cambridge 1997. ISBN 0 521 38600 4 paperback
Catullus, Poems trans. Guy Lee Oxford World Classics 1999.
Petronius, Satyrica, trans. Kinney and Branham Univ. of California Press. ISBN: 9780520211186
Paul Zanker, Roman Art. Getty Publications 2010. ISBN-13: 9781606060308
Additional required readings will be available as PDFs through the Blackboard site for this course.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1. August 23 and 25. Founding and Re-Founding Rome.
Recent developments in Italian archaeology. The emergence of Roman identity. Who were the Romans? The Latins? The Etruscans? The site of Rome.
Reading: Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 1- 48.
Week 2. Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. Household, Clan, and Gods.
Family and social structure in early Rome. Ritual, religion, and the emergence of the state. Honor and shame as characteristics of Roman society. The language of honor. Commerce, conquest, and landowning.
Reading: Plautus, Pot of Gold
Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 208-234.
Week 3. Sept. 6 and 8. Politics of the Roman Republic.
Early political structures. The 'struggle of the orders'. Land reform and political change. Social wars. Warlords and military recruitment. Interstate anarchy and the expansion of Rome.
Reading: Cicero, "Four Speeches Against Lucius Sergius Catilina" (Blackboard)
Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 112-133.
Quiz #1 in section this week.
Week 4. Sept. 13 and 15. Becoming Roman.
Roman education. Gender roles. Rhetoric and oratorical performance. Social life of the late Republic.
Reading: Cicero, "In Defense of Marcus Caelius Rufus" (Blackboard)
Catullus, Poems 1- 50, 57-58, 60-62, 68-76, 95-101.
Quiz #2 in section this week.
Week 5. Sept. 20 and 22. Roman Virtue.
Traditional and innovative views of 'the good life.' Philosophical schools at Rome. The influence of Roman political thought.
Reading: Catullus, poem 64
Cicero, On Friendship (Blackboard)
Lucretius, On the Nature of the Universe (selections, Blackboard)
Week 6. FIRST MIDTERM IN CLASS ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27
Weeks 6 and 7. Sept. 29, Oct. 4, Oct. 6. The Scope of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Revolution. The Augustan Restoration. Early Dynasties. Structure and Function of Imperial Institutions. The Formation of a Cultural Hegemony.
Reading: Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 49-111, 133-9.
Zanker, Roman Art, pp. 48-119.
Week 8. Oct. 11 and 13. Domination and Resistance.
Power Struggle between Princeps and Senate. The Rise of Experts. Integration of the Provinces. Roman Law.
Reading: Tacitus, Annals, books 13, 14, 15, and 16 (the reign of Nero)
Seneca, On Mercy (Blackboard)
Quiz #3 in section this week
Week 9. Oct. 18 and 20. Everyday Life in the Roman Empire: Material Aspects.
Modes of production. The role of slaves. Early capitalism? Managing risk. The built environment: from infrastructure to interior design.
Reading: Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 181-207.
Zanker, Roman Art, pp. 120-144.
Week 10. Oct. 25 and 27. Everyday Life in the Roman Empire: Cultural Aspects.
Ritual and cult. Emperor worship? Spectacle. Center and Periphery.
Reading: Jones and Sidwell, The World of Rome, pp. 140-80.
Petronius, Satyrika, first half.
Week 11. Nov. 1 and 3. Status anxiety in the Roman empire. Sexuality and identity. Satire and exclusion. Remembering the dead.
Reading: Petronius, Satyrika, second half
Zanker, Roman Art, pp. 145-175
SECOND MIDTERM IN CLASS ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3.
Week 12. Nov. 8 and 10. Christianity and the Transformation of the Roman World.
Reading: Passion of St. Perpetua (Blackboard)
Eusebius, Life of Constantine (Blackboard)
Zanker, Roman Art, pp. 187-195.
NB These are fairly short readings. Students are encouraged to get started on Virgil's Aeneid this week, even though it will not be discussed until the following week.
Week 13. Nov. 15 and 17. Virgil's Aeneid and the Literary Traditions of Rome.
Literary genres. Heroic epic. Hellenization. Religion of the poets. Literary performance. Transmission of classical texts. Dido in music and art.
Reading: Virgil, Aeneid, books 1, 2, 3, 4, 6.
Quiz #4 in section this week
one-page proposal for final paper due this week
Weeks 14 and 15. Nov. 22, Nov. 29, Dec. 1 (NO CLASS Nov. 24). Virgil's Aeneid and the Cultural Traditions of Rome.
Imagining community. Epic and empire. Bolivar's Dream--and other key episodes in the afterlife of classical Rome.
Reading: Virgil, Aeneid, book 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
FINAL PAPER DUE Tuesday December 6, 2016.
FINAL EXAM Tuesday December 13, 2016 at 8 a.m.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Statement for Students with Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to the instructor as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Website and contact information for DSP: , (213) 740-0776 (Phone), (213) 740-6948 (TDD only), (213) 740-8216 (FAX) ability@usc.edu.
Statement on Academic Integrity
USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (usc.edu/scampus or ) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A.
Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity in a Crisis
In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.
Changes to Syllabus
Please note that the instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus in order to advance the academic aims of the course. Any such changes will be announced in class.
Course Policy on Make-ups and Extensions
No make-ups or extensions will be granted except in cases of serious illness or other emergencies. Students who need to re-schedule an exercise due to participation in a University-sponsored activity should their section leader well ahead of time.
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