Discipline: History Degree Credit  [X]
Non Credit  [ ]
Nondegree Credit  [ ]
Comm Service  [ ]
 

Riverside Community College District
Integrated Course Outline of Record

History 22


COURSE DESCRIPTION
22 History of Ancient Rome Units: 3.00
 
Prerequisite(s): None.

Advisory: Qualification for English 1A recommended
A lecture course offering an overview of Roman history and civilization from the legendary founding of Rome in 753 BC to the collapse of the Roman Empire's central administration in the West in 476 A.D. 54 hours lecture.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Overview of Roman history and civilization from 753 B.C. to 476 A.D.
 
ADVISORY ENTRY SKILLS
Before entering the course, students will be able to:
  1. Critically discuss and analyze primary and secondary texts, recognizing key ideas and responding in both oral and written form.

  2. Analyze synthesize, and evaluate concepts studied in primary and secondary texts using immediate to advanced critical thinking skills.

  3. Compose developed, unified, stylistically competent writing assignments and adjust writing to the target audience with intermediate to advanced skill.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

Identify  distinct periods within the development of ancient Roman civilization.

Interpret primary texts which illustrate evolving ancient Roman perspectives on political, social and intellectual life.

Analyze and discuss the causes leading to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Empire.

Evaluate the achievements of ancient Roman society against it’s own stated value.

Appraise the debt owed by modern societies to the social, political, and intellectual accomplishments of ancient Rome.
 
COURSE CONTENT
  TOPICS
 
  1. Historical Methodology
  2. Foundation of Roman history 
    1. The Legendary and archeological evidence for the founding of Rome
    2. Early Roman religion
    3. The early Roman kings
    4. Early expansion of Rome leading to the Republican Revolution of 509 BC.
  3. Roman Republic
    1. The establishment of the basic Roman societal and cultural world, covering the Republican constitution
    2. Colonia and municipia, the Punic and Macedonian wars
    3. The growth of the Roman state
    4. Political conflict in the late Republic
    5. The first Triumvirate
    6. The second Triumvirate, the rise of the military warlords ie “strong men”
  4. Early Empire 
    1. The formation of the Roman world into an empire, covering Octavius and the rise of the Principate
    2. Roman military and foreign policy
    3. Pax Romana
    4. The five good emperors
  5. Late Rome 
    1. The last century of roman rule, which covers the crisis of the third century
    2. Constantine and the advent of Roman Christianity
    3. The tetrarchy
    4. Increasing division between eastern and western administrations
    5. The fall of Rome in the west.
 
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
 Methods of instruction used to achieve student learning outcomes may include, but are not limited to:

  • Presentation of lectures which both disseminate information and pose problems.
  • Group and panel discussions; discussions which emphasize the ability to think critically.
  • Field trip to local museums or art galleries which display Roman art to reinforce classroom discussions and presentation.
  • Presenting films, slides, overheads, audio tapes to reinforce concepts and related to roman creative expressions and cultural values.
  • Computer assistant and/or web-enhanced instruction which reinforces the course content.
  • Guest lecturers to present specific topics within the field of Roman studies.
 
METHODS OF EVALUATION
 Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of learning outcomes by methods of evaluation which may include, but are not limited to:

  • Quizzes; examinations (at least 4) containing objective questions designed to assess students ability to recall, interpret, and analyze the subject matter.
  • Participation as required by instructor to ensure progress in mastering the course content and participation in collaborative learning process.
  • The writing of a 2000 word essay based on original ancient sources in translation.
  • Individual and group assignments designed to evaluate students’ understanding of the key themes and events in the course content.
  • Final examination designed to assess students’ mastery of the essential concepts and original sources explored in the course.
ASSIGNMENTS

Required Reading Assignments


Required Writing Assignments


Other Outside-of-Class Assignments
 
COURSE MATERIALS
 All materials used in this course will be periodically reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for college level instruction. Possible texts include:

  • Possible texts include:

    1. _____The Lives of the later Caesars
    2. _____The New Testament
    3. Livy, The History of Early Rome
    4. Petronius, The Satyricon
    5. Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome
    6. Suetonius, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars
    7. Virgil , Aeneid,
  • Contemporary Studies and Textbooks

    1. Boardman, John, Jasper Griffin, and Oswyn Murray, editors. The Oxford History of the Classical World. The Roman World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
    2. Boatwright, Mary T., The Romans, New York: Oxford University Press
    3. Boren, Henry C., Roman Society, Lexington MA: Heath and company 1977.
    4. Carcopino, Jérôme. Daily Life in Ancient Rome: The People and the City at the Height of the Empire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974.
    5. Dillon, Matthew and Lynda Garland, Ancient Rome, London and New York: Routledge, 2005.
    6. Grant, Michael. History of Rome. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1978.
    7. Starr, Chester G. The Ancient Romans. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971.
    8. Starr, Chester, A History of the Ancient World, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995
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