HIST 241 Syllabus

Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
luke.hagemann@emory.edu
HIST 241
Sex, Murder, and Intrigue: Life at the
Roman Imperial Court
Class Meetings: MWF (Time TBD)

Class Location: TBD
Office Hours: TBD
Course Description
In the first century BC, a series of civil wars within the Roman Republic wiped away the old
political order and elevated one man to supreme power. Augustus, the great nephew and adoptive
son of Julius Caesar, defeated his political rivals and established himself as Romes first
emperor. While he maintained much of the old Republican system, he nonetheless centralized
governance of the empire, professionalized the Roman military, and elevated his family above all
others. Subsequently, the emperor became the font of power, wealth, and position within the
empire. Senators, poets, and even slaves surrounded him in the hope of winning his favor.
This course will examine the development of the court society that grew up around the first two
imperial dynasties of Rome, the Julio-Claudian dynasty (27 BC 68 AD) and the Flavian
dynasty (69 AD 96 AD). This was a period of experimentation, in which emperor and subjects
alike sought to adapt from the Republican past to the Imperial present. Although the emperors
were all powerful in theory, those who went too far in alienating their subjects found themselves
the targets of assassination plots. And while gaining the emperors favor could bring courtiers
great wealth and influence, a change in the imperial mood could cost them their position, and
possibly their life.
No previous knowledge of Roman history is required. Students will be given the necessary
historical background to the early Roman Empire, and all primary sources read in class will be in
translation. Class meetings will either consist of lectures or discussions (see the class schedule
below). Students will be expected to complete all assigned readings, participate in class on
discussion days, complete five 2-page reflections, take the midterm, and write a final paper.
1
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
Course Objectives
Over the course of the semester, students will:
1. Demonstrate a grasp of the basic political chronology and culture of Ancient Rome in the
1st century AD.
2. Learn about the types of sources and methods employed by historians of Ancient Rome.
3. Learn and practice accessing secondary sources online through the library.
4. Read and think critically about primary sources.
5. Write cogent arguments about the source material.
Required Texts
Petronius and Seneca, The Satyricon and The Apocolocyntosis of the Divine Claudius.
Penguin Classics translation (J.P. Sullivan 1986).
Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars. Oxford World Classics translation (Catharine Edwards,
2009).
Tacitus, The Annals: The Reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. Oxford World Classics
translation (J.C. Yardley, 2008).
Recommended Texts
This class has no set textbook, and the bulk of the material that a textbook would provide will be
presented to students through lectures. However, if any student is looking for a good general
textbook on Roman History, the following book covers the history of Rome from its founding
through the collapse of the Western Empire in 476 AD:
Boatwright et al. The Romans: From Village to Empire: A History of Rome from Earliest
Times to the End of the Western Empire. 2nd edition. OUP 2011.
Evaluation
Assignments:
Assignment Proportion of Grade Due Date

Attendance 5% N/A
2-Page Reflection #1 5% February 9
2
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
2-Page Reflection #2 7.5% March 2

Midterm 20% March 9
2-Page Reflection #3 10% March 30
2-Page Reflection #4 12.5% April 13
2-Page Reflection #5 15% April 27
Final Paper 25% TBD
Grading Scale:
A 93-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69

A- 90-92 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66
B- 80-83 C- 70-73 D- 60-63
Nota Bene:
1. Class participation does not constitute a formal proportion of a students grade. However,
it will be noted throughout the semester, and those students who consistently participate
in class (especially on discussion days) may receive a grade bump if they are within one
point of a higher grade.
2. Grades on assignments or exams that end in a decimal of .50 or above will be rounded
up, while grades ending in less than .50 will be rounded down.
Course Policies
1. Laptop use is NOT permitted. Handouts outlining the main points of the day will be
distributed at the beginning of each class, with which students may take notes.
2. Cell phone use is NOT permitted. Please silence or turn off your devices before class
begins.
3. You can reach me via my email address (see top right of the page) or during my office
hours. Please be aware that it may take me 24-48 hours to respond to an email.
4. I expect that you will be academically honest, doing your own work on assignments and
assessments, giving full credit to the ideas of others, and checking with me when you are
uncertain about whether your actions constitute academic dishonesty. The Honor Code
applies to all work submitted for courses in Emory College. Students who violate the
Honor Code may be subject to a written mark on their record, failure of the course,
suspension, permanent dismissal, or a combination of these and other sanctions. The
Honor Code may be reviewed online at:
http://catalog.college.emory.edu/academic/policies-regulations/honor-code.html
5. Any students with a disability or special needs should meet with me as soon as possible
to discuss any arrangements that need to be made.
3
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
6. If English is not your first language and you need help with class assignments, you may
benefit from working with specially trained ESL Tutors. These tutors are undergraduates
who will support the development of your English language skills. Like Writing Center
tutors, ESL tutors will not proofread your work. Language is best learned through
interactive dialogue, so when you come to an ESL tutoring session, be ready to
collaborate! ESL tutors will meet with you in the ESL Lab in Callaway S108 and other
designated locations, and they will help you at any stage of the process of developing
your essay or presentation. You may bring your work on a laptop or on paper. If you
schedule an appointment in the ESL Lab, you may also bring your work on a USB stick
computers are available in the lab. Visit www.epass.emory.edu and click on ESL
Services to schedule an appointment, read the appointment policies, and view the
offerings of the ESL Program. If you do not have a scheduled appointment, you may
meet with a drop-in tutor in the ESL Lab. Here, you may have less time with a tutor if
other students are waiting, but you can briefly discuss an assignment and some of your
concerns. For more information, visit the website or contact DR. Levin Arnsperger,
Assistant Director of the ESL Program and Tutoring Coordinator (larnspe@emory.edu)
7. The Emory Writing Center offers 45-minute individual conferences to Emory College
and Laney Graduate School students. It is a great place to bring any project from
traditional papers to websites at any stage in your composing process. Writing Center
tutors takes a discussion-and-workshop-based approach that enables writers of all levels
to see their writing with fresh eyes. Tutors can talk with you about your purpose,
organization, audience, design choices, or use of sources. They can also work with you
on sentence-level concerns (including grammar and word choice), but they will not
proofread for you. Instead, they will discuss strategies and resources you can use to
become a better editor of your own work. The Writing Center is located in Callaway N-
212. Visit writingcenter.emory.edu for more information and to make appointments.
Schedule of Classes
HOMEWORK IS DUE THE NEXT CLASS PERIOD

Wednesday January 17
Lecture: Introduction to the Course
Homework: NONE
Friday January 19
Lecture: The Greek, Persian, and Hellenistic Worlds
Homework: Read Greek/Persian/Hellenistic Handout (Canvas)
4
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
Monday January 22
Lecture: The Roman Republic
Homework: Read Roman Republic Handout (Canvas)
Lecture: Roman Society and Culture
Homework: Roman Culture Handout (Canvas); Suetonius The Deified Julius Caesar 1-20
Friday January 26
Lecture: Julius Caesar
Homework: Suetonius The Deified Julius Caesar 21-42
Monday January 29
Lecture: Augustus
Homework: Suetonius The Deified Augustus 43-65
Lecture: Augustus
Homework: Suetonius The Deified Augustus 66-97
Friday February 2
Discussion
Homework: Cassius Dio Part 1 (Canvas)
Monday February 5
Lecture: Augustus
Wednesday February 7
Lecture: Augustus
Friday February 9
Discussion: REFLECTION #1
Homework: Suetonius Tiberius 98-135
Monday February 12
Lecture: Tiberius
Homework: Read Tacitus Annals 3-40
5
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
Lecture: Tiberius
Friday February 16
Discussion
Monday February 19
Lecture: Tiberius
Lecture: Caligula
Homework: Read Suetonius Caligula 136-167
Friday February 23
Discussion
Monday February 26
Lecture: Caligula
Homework: Read Suetonius The Deified Claudius 168-194
Lecture: Claudius
Friday March 2
Monday March 5
Lecture: Claudius
Homework: Read Seneca Apocolocyntosis (Canvas)
Wednesday March 7
Lecture: Claudius
Homework: Read Claudius Texts (Canvas)
6
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
Friday March 9
MIDTERM
March 12-16
SPRING BREAK
Monday March 19
Lecture: Nero
Homework: Read Suetonius Nero 195-227
Wednesday March 21
Lecture: Nero
Friday March 23
Discussion
Monday March 26
Lecture: Nero
Wednesday March 28
Lecture: Nero
Friday March 30
Homework: Read Suetonius Galba, Otho, Vitellius 228-259
Monday April 2
Lecture: Galba, Otho, and Vitellius
Homework: Read Tacitus Histories (Canvas)
Wednesday April 4
Lecture: Vespasian
Homework: Read Suetonius The Deified Vespasian 260-273
Friday April 6
Discussion
Homework: Read Vespasian Texts 1 (Canvas)
7
Spring 2018
Luke Hagemann
Monday April 9
Lecture: Vespasian
Wednesday April 11
Lecture: Vespasian
Friday April 13
Monday April 16
Lecture: Vespasian
Homework: Read Suetonius The Deified Titus 274-279
Wednesday April 18
Lecture: Titus and Domitian
Homework: Read Suetonius Domitian 280-294
Friday April 20
Discussion
Homework: Read Tacitus Agricola (Canvas); Read Pliny Panegyric (Canvas)
Monday April 23
Lecture: Domitian
Homework: Read Domitian Texts 1 (Canvas)
Wednesday April 25
Lecture: Domitian
Friday April 27
Monday April 30
Lecture: Wrap Up
Homework: NONE
FINAL PAPER DUE TBA

HIST 241 Syllabus

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

HIST 241 Syllabus

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spring 2018

Class Meetings: MWF (Time TBD)

Over the course of the semester, students will:

Assignment Proportion of Grade Due Date

2-Page Reflection #2 7.5% March 2

A 93-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69

HOMEWORK IS DUE THE NEXT CLASS PERIOD

FINAL PAPER DUE TBA

You might also like