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, THH 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.
Empire: Cultural Aspects.

Everyday Life in the Roman

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.
Traditions of Rome.

Virgil's Aeneid and the Literary

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

FINAL EXAM

Tuesday December 6, 2016.

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:
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html, (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 ones own academic
work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using anothers work as ones own. All
students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the
Student Guidebook, (www.usc.edu/scampus or http://scampus.usc.edu) 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.