CCIV 272: Reading Roman Decadence

objectives and format

schedule

assignments

on-line resources

further reading

Roman Decadence
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Weeks 3-5: Decadence in Roman history and historiography

Reminder: Each student must complete one response paper during this unit.

Monday 9/16

READING:

A very brief biography of Edward Gibbon.

Edward Gibbon, "General Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West," and "The Ruins of Rome in the Fifteenth Century and the Conclusion of the Whole Work," in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1788).

LECTURE: Gibbon and visions of Empire & Roman history in broad strokes.

Further reading.

Wednesday 9/18

READING:

Sallust, Conspiracy of Catiline (handout).

Livy redux: Preface (Front Matter), Book 1 (all), Preface of Book 2 (i.e., just Section 2.1)

QUESTIONS: How does the idea of decadence emerge in each of these historical texts? How is it figured, i.e., what does it look like, how is it described? What is its relationship to the historical narrrative the author is constructing?

Further reading.

Monday 9/23

READING:

Suetonius, Caligula, Nero , handout on Suetonius

QUESTIONS: Read these biographical narratives of the "bad" emperors as a pair and with an eye to structure. What effect does Suetonius' way of structuring these lives have on the reader's perception of them?

Further reading.

Wednesday 9/25

READING:

Tacitus, Annales, I.1-15 , XII, XIII, handout on Tacitus

QUESTIONS: Give careful attention to Annales I.1-15. How does this introduction set up the narratives of the reigns of the Julio-Claudian emperors that follow? What does Tacitus mark as the nature of the principate? What characterizes Roman society under the principate? Read the narrative of Nero's rise and reign with this introduction constantly in mind.

Further reading.

Monday 9/30

READING:

Tacitus, Annales, XIV, XV, XVI

QUESTIONS: 1) Pay particular attention in your reading to the picture Tacitus draws of the relationship of Nero and/or Rome under Nero to the past. Write out at least two questions for discussion on this topic. 2) Make an effort to map out issues or images you see becoming thematic in this section of the Annales, noting specific passages that are relevant. Have your notes on this available to contribute to discussion.

Wednesday 10/2

READING:

Tacitus, Agricola (handout).

QUESTIONS: What relations does Tacitus set up between decadence, ethnicity, and geography in the Agricola? How and why?

ESSAY 1 on this unit due Friday 10/4