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REQUIRED READING

C. Starr, A HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, 4th ed. Basic text for this course and Hist 340. There is an alternate text for those who wish (see below).

Henry Boren, ROMAN SOCIETY. A book concentrating on social and economic History.

Plutarch, MAKERS OF ROME. Nine biographies of Romans by an ancient Greek.

Suetonius, LIVES OF THE TWELVE CAESARS. Biographies of the early Emperors. A mixture of scandal, gossip, and intrigue from the Senatorial point of view.

HANDOUT PACKET. Packet contains important handouts to be used in class as well as practice maps for the map quizzes.

RECOMMENDED READING

Alan Ward et al., A HISTORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE. 5th ed. A more detailed and thorough text which may be substituted for the Starr text, if you wish.

Livy, THE WAR WITH HANNIBAL. Rome's greatest war by Rome's greatest historian.

Cicero, THE MURDER TRIALS. Rome's greatest orator plays Perry Mason.

Eusebius, THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. History from the Christian point of view.

EVALUATION and OTHER ACADEMIC MATTERS

EVALUATION: There will two (2) mid-term examinations each worth 100 points, 3 map quizzes worth a total of 50 points, and a final take-home examination worth 150 points, for a grand total of 400 points. You will be graded on total points scored, and YOU MUST TAKE ALL THREE EXAMINATIONS TO RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE.

MAP QUIZZES will be given on 4 Thursdays ( Jan. 28, Feb. 18, Apr. 8, Apr. 22 ) at the beginning of class (5 minutes allotted). Nota Bene: If you come late, you miss the quiz; no you cannot take it after class. The fourth quiz is the make-up map quiz. It is the only one (best three out of four quizzes will be counted) and can replace a lower score or a missed previous quiz. If it is lower, of course, it will be the one not counted. All items on the map quiz will come from the map list accompanying this syllabus. The 4th quiz will cover all three lists and be given on the form of the 3rd quiz. I will mark the spot, you tell me what it is. Yes, spelling is important, now that you ask (half-point for spelling, half for correct name; illegible is wrong).

GRADING: This course will have a TEACHING ASSISTANT grading the exams under my supervision and according to my standards. I will review the grading. The goal is a standard "curve" of 90-80-70-60. "Plus" and "minus" grades will be given to the top and bottom two percentage points in each category. Thus, if B's range from 89-80, B+ will be 89-88 and B- will be 81-80. There are no quotas, and I am willing to give all A's or F's. I have yet to do either. Surprise me. Go ahead and make my day!

MAKE UP EXAMINATIONS will be given where appropriate (not for map quizzes, that is the purpose of the 4th map quiz), but they will be harder and will be given at my convenience (on Fridays at 7:00 a.m. in Wilson 13) and must be arranged (not taken) by the next class following the exam. I prefer that this be done in class and will ask for names. If you miss a make-up exam, drop the class. Note that there is no make-up for the final. Branch campus make-up exams will be arranged with proper academic personnel at the branch campuses. These times may be different from those on the main campus.

EXAM CONTENT will consist of essay questions and identifications. There is a sheet on essay examinations in the handout packet that you should read carefully. Note that you must be able to write standard English well enough to express your thoughts in a coherent manner using sentences and paragraphs that are clear and organized. You need not be a Pulitzer Prize winner, but if you have trouble writing, you should see me immediately. I do not give multiple-choice examinations. Names, places, dates are all important. These are the data that help you build an historical analysis or argument.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURE

CLASSES will consist of Power Point illustrated lectures with other audio-visuals from time to time. Questions are WELCOMED, provided that they are not excessive or off the topic. If you wish to debate an esoteric point, I will be glad to talk to you outside of class. PLEASE do not hesitate to ask a question that will clarify some part of the lecture.

TAKING NOTES in class is a very good idea, but  only if you want to pass the course.  Beware writing down just what is on the screen.  The notes are partly bits of information for you (such as names and places) and partly memory aids for me.  Often, just a line from what is written may give you a very wrong impression later when you are studying.  You need to LISTEN to what I am saying, condense the material in ways that make sense to  you.  Remember, that I will repeat and elaborate.  You need to be able to abstract my words into study aids for yourself.  See also the separate page on taking notes. 

ATTENDANCE is your concern, but cutting class may cause you to miss important announcements, changes in procedure, handouts, as well as the material. You may want to borrow someone's notes. I do not lend mine (nor does the TA), nor do I give a lecture twice. WARNING: cutting class may be injurious to your grade.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR is a topic I should not have to mention, but note that your classmates are here to learn and I am here to teach. Any behavior which disrupts or interferes with either function is strictly prohibited and will be considered sufficient cause to remove the disruptive person or persons from class temporarily or permanently at my discretion. Note, cell phones ringing are very disruptive so turn yours off before coming to class.

READING AND STUDY HABITS

If you are a freshman, please come to see me immediately! This is important for you and your grade.

It is important to keep up on the reading.  Just how you do this is your business.  I don't give daily reading quizzes, even in freshman level classes.  But do know that you cannot hope to keep everything straight if you insist on reading all of Plutarch or Suetonius at a sitting.  The text and supplements ought to help you understand Roman history better, to fill in where lecture was sketchy, to draw other conclusions and insights than you will get in class.

It is wise to periodically review your class notes to see if you can make sense of the material.  If you cannot, it is time to revise, to come see me, or go back and fill in from your books.  

Don't  wait till you get the study guide to prepare for the exams.  Work on the material for at least a week.  Think about what kind of questions I could give you (hint:  what were the main topics of this section of the course?).

In Studying: Note that you will be writing examinations composed of essay questions. You will need to compile a basis of specific information to back up your contentions, generalizations, and opinions. Names and dates are often necessary to do this. Beware amassing (and writing) large amounts of unrelated facts OR unsupported generalities. Neither shotgunning nor BSing will result in a satisfactory grade.

Work on the maps for the map quizzes, a few new places at a time.  If you do this over a week, you will have memorized the names, locations, and spelling of all the items on the map!

LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE (spring 2010)

Jan.      12:  Introduction to Roman History 
            14:  Italians, Etruscans, and Greeks
            19:       Early Rome and its People
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 21, 22 (to p. 463); Boren, ch. 1; Plutarch, Introduction.                   
 
Jan.      21:  Wars and Alliances
            26:  Conflict of the Orders
            28:       Republican Government     MAP QUIZ 1 
 READINGS:  Starr, ch. 22 (from p. 463); Boren, ch. 2-3; Plutarch Coriolanus.
 
Feb.     02:  First Punic War
            04        Second Punic War
            09:  War's End and Aftermath
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 23; Boren, ch. 4-5; Plutarch, Fabius, Marcellus, Cato.
         
EXAMINATION I: Thursday, February 11, 2010 (a first taste of Roman Law)
 
Feb.     16:       Impact of Imperialism
            18:       The Gracchi   MAP QUIZ 2
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 24; Boren, ch. 4-5; Plutarch, Ti. Gracchus, C. Gracchus.
 
Feb.     23:       Marius and Sulla
            25:       Pompey
Mar.    02:       Triumvirs
            04:  Caesar Dictator
            09:  Cicero and Cato
Mar.    11:  Antony and Octavian
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 25; Boren, ch. 6-8; Plutarch, Sertorius, Brutus, Antony; Suetonius, Caesar.
 
EXAMINATION II: Thursday, March 25, 2010 (Ave Caesar; morituri te salutamus)

Mar.    15-19   Spring Break
            23        Augustus and Rome [note: this lecture comes before Exam II]           
            30:       Growth of Autocracy
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 26 (547-60), 27 (575-87), 29 (626-31, 641-42); Boren, ch. 9- 11; Suetonius, Augustus through Nero. 
 
Apr.     01:  Pax Romana
            06:       Provinces and Frontiers
            08:  Rome & Pompeii    MAP QUIZ 3
            13:  Life in the Empire
            15:  Romans, Jews, and Christians
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 26 (561-74), 27 (587-602), 28; Boren, ch. 12;
                       Suetonius, Galba through Domitian  (these really fit with the previous topic). 
 
Apr.     20:  Diocletian and the Dominate
            22:  Constantine and Christianity   MAP QUIZ 4
            27:  Christian Empire
            29:  Rome and the Barbarians
READINGS:  Starr, ch. 30-32; Boren, ch. 13-14.
 
FINAL EXAMINATION DUE: Monday, May 3, 2010, 12 noon (appeal to Caesar)
 

Nota bene: hand examination in personally to me or put it in my mailbox in the main office.  Do not leave the exam under my office door or tacked to my bulletin board.  Late penalties will accrue at the rate of 5 points per half day--don’t lose points this way!  You did make sure that this is absolutely and positively your own work, not a cooperative effort with a friend, classmate, book, or web! 

MAP QUIZ STUDY SHEET

NOTE: cities/sites marked with an X, rivers with an arrow,
areas hatched, bodies of water unmarked except by number.
Map Quiz 4 will utilize the entire list.

MAP QUIZ 1	MAP QUIZ 2	MAP QUIZ 3
Adriatic Sea Africa African Sea Alps Apulia Arno R. Brundisium Bruttium Calabria Campania Capua Carthage Cisalpine Gaul Corsica Dalmatia Etruria Illyricum Ionian Sea Latium Liguria Lucania Messana Naples Ostia Picenum Po River Rome Samnium Sardinia Sicily Tarentum Syracuse Tiber R. TransAlpine Gaul Transpadane Gaul Tyrhennian Sea Umbria Venetia	Achaea Arabia-Petraea Armenia Asia Bithynia-Pontus Black Sea Britannia Cappadocia Cilicia Crete Cyrene Cyprus Dacia Danube R. Ebro R. Egypt Euphrates R. Galatia Germany Italy Judaea Macedonia Mauretania Mesopotamia Moesia Nile R. Pannonia Parthia Pyrenees Red Sea Rhine R. Rhone R. Sahara Desert Sardinia Scythia Sicily Spain Syria Thrace Tigris Transalpine Gaul	Adriatic Sea Aegean Sea Alexandria Alps Antioch Arabia Felix Arabian Sea Armenia Athens Balkan Peninsula Black Sea Caspian Sea Constantinople Corsica Crete Cyprus Damascus Danube R. Ebro R. Elbe R. English Channel Euphrates R. Halys R. Jerusalem Mesopotamia Nile R. North Sea Palestine Persia Persian Gulf Po R. Pyrenees Ravenna Red Sea Rhine Rhone Rome Sardinia Sicily Spain Thames Tigris

 

SOME OTHER SITES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL

press the globe to get a select list of places to visit including MyDDP

For information about your instructor and links to:
the Department of History
and
Washington State University (WAZZU)

go to
the inaccurately named

Richard S. Williams Unpretentious Home Page

by pressing the comm-badge

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