Of all the civilizations that have ever been, none have inspired as much wonder and awe as Ancient Rome. No society since has replicated the achievements nor enjoyed the longevity that the Roman Empire did. Indeed Ancient Rome is among the greatest contributors to Western Civilization and culture. Among these contributions are the Julian Calendar, Romance (Roman based) languages, republican government, and formal spectacle sport. This course explores the world of Ancient Rome as students investigate important events and key figures of the epoch. The individual lectures will examine major themes while touching upon the fascinating details of Roman life, such as the Romans’ intensely hierarchical social order. In lectures 1–4 we concentrate on the Romans in the early days of the Roman Republic. Lectures 5–8 focus on the Romans abroad while lectures 9–12 explore matters within the Roman state. Finally, lectures 13 and 14 discuss the Roman Empire following the reign of Augustus. Along the way, numerous facts of cultural literacy, such as what it means to “cross the Rubicon” will be illuminated as listeners enjoy professor Titchener’s unique style and finesse. At the end of this course, students will possess a thorough understanding of Ancient Rome’s legacy to the modern world, and will have fully considered the poet Vergil’s assertion that the Romans’ talent was to “rule mankind and make the world obey.”
Frances B. Titchener teaches Greek and Latin as well as courses on the history of ancient Greece, Rome, and Celtic Europe at Utah State University. Titchener earned her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin and was the recipient of a Fulbright grant in 2003. A prolific essayist, she is also editor of the scholarly journal Ploutarchos.
Lecture 1 Introduction to Rome, Italy and the Romans, 1200-753 B.C.
Lecture 2 First There Were Kings: 753-510 B.C.
Lecture 3 Internal Conflict: the Patricians and Plebeian Orders: 510-287 B.C.
Lecture 4 Roman Expansion in Italy: 510-287 B.C.
Lecture 5 The First Punic War and the Emergence of Individuals: 264-421
Lecture 6 Rome's Greatest Enemy: The Second and Third Punic Wars
Lecture 7 Plantations and the Gracchi brothers
Lecture 8 The Rise of Marius through African and Italian Wars. 128-83 B.C.
Lecture 9 Strong Men Fight it Out: 123-53 B.C.
Lecture 10 And Then There was One: Julius Caesar: 53-44 B.C.
Lecture 11 Augustus, the Father of His Country: 43 B.C. - 14 A.D.
Lecture 12 The Empire's First Century: Julio-Claudians and Flavians: 14-96 A.D.
Lecture 13 Gibbon's Golden Age and the Beginning of the End: 96-303 A.D.
Lecture 14 Constantine, Barbarians and the Great Transformation: 303-476 A.D.