Classics 330/HSTAM 330: The Age of Augustus

Winter Quarter 2010

Denny 216

MTWThF 9:30-10:20

Professor A. M. Gowing

Office: M-24 Denny Hall

Office Hours: M 10:30-11:30 and by appointment; Th conference (see below)

Phone: 543-2266

e-mail: alain@u.washington.edu

Course website: http://faculty.washington.edu/alain/CLAS.HSTAM330/CLAS.HSTAM330home.html. Here you'll find the syllabus and a select bibliography on Augustus and aspects of his reign (including online resources). I will also periodically post to this site any handouts or assignment instructions.

Required texts: Coursepack with readings from K. Chisholm and J. Ferguson, edd. Rome. The Augustan Age. Oxford 1981. (= C&F). Available at Univ. Bookstore with other texts.

A.H.M. Jones. Augustus. New York and London 1970. (= Jones)

P. Zanker. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Alan Shapiro, trans. Michigan 1988. (= Zanker)

A. Wallace-Hadrill. Augustan Rome. Bristol Classical Press 1993. (= WH)

Reserve shelf: A reserve shelf has been set up for this course at the Reserve Desk in Odegaard Library. Copies of the texts as well as a few other books relevant to the Augustan period have been placed on reserve there.

Description: This course will examine all aspects of the Age of Augustus (31 BC - AD 14), a period of profound political and cultural change that permanently altered the course of Roman history. The history, politics, literature, art, architecture, and religion of the period will all come under scrutiny as we investigate the various ways in which Rome's first emperor sought to repair and redirect a society fragmented by years of civil war -- and the various ways in which the citizens of Rome reacted to the Augustan reforms. The readings will be drawn largely from primary texts, including Augustus' own account of his rule (the Res Gestae); selections from the works of Vergil, Ovid, Horace, and other Augustan writers; Suetonius' Life of Augustus; and numerous inscriptions illustrating various aspects of life in Rome as well as in the provinces.

Requirements: 1) Regular class attendance is strongly urged (5%)

2) Midterm (25%) (Friday, Feb. 5) and Final Examination (30%) (Wednesday, Mar. 17, 8:30-10:20). Both exams will consist of short answer and brief essay questions. While the final exam will focus principally on material covered in the second half of the course, familiarity with the issues covered in the first half will be assumed.

3) Two 3-5 page papers (40%, 20% each), due Tuesday, Feb. 2 and Monday, Mar. 8 respectively. Information sheets including instructions, grading criteria, and suggested topics for each paper will be posted on the course website. The principal aim of each paper is to have you compose something (for example, a letter, fragment of a history, etc.) addressing a particular topic from the perspective of a person living in the Augustan period. Unless previously cleared with me, late papers will be penalized.

Thursday Conference: WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 AND THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 -- and unless you are otherwise notified -- there will be no class meeting on Thursdays, but I will be available in my office during our regular class period (9:30-10:20 AM) for individual conferences.

Optional W-Course: You may elect to take this as a W-Course. This will entail EITHER writing an additional paper along the lines of the required two and due on Wednesday, Mar. 10 OR if you prefer, you may elect -- in lieu of 3 shorter papers -- to write a 12-15 page research paper on a topic of your choice and approved by me. A draft of this will be due on Wednesday, Feb. 17; a final revised draft will be due on Wednesday, Mar. 10. NB: If you intend to take this as a W-course, please let me know as soon as possible but no later than Jan. 22; please let me know as well which option you intend to pursue.

Schedule of readings and lectures:

Part I. History and Politics

Week 1

Jan. 4: Introduction

5: The breakdown of the Republic. Jones Chap. 1; C&F G2, G5. Optional: Zanker Chap. 1

THERE WILL BE NO CLASS MEETINGS ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, OR FRIDAY THIS WEEK (unavoidably, I will be away at a conference on those days). PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL MEET EVERY DAY NEXT WEEK, INCLUDING THURSDAY.

Week 2

11: breakdown cont'd. Caesar's heir. Jones Chap. 2; C&F B2-B12

12: The triumvirate (formation down to 35 BC). Jones Chap. 3; C&F B13-B22, B50 and I39

13: The triumvirate cont'd. (35 to Battle of Actium in 31). C&F B24-B26

14: Analysis: the myth of Actium. WH Chap. 1. Optional: Zanker Chap. 2

15: The 'restoration' of the Republic and the Augustan settlement. Jones Chap. 4; C&F B27-B29

Week 3

18: NO CLASS -- MLK DAY

19: restoration cont'd (down to 19 BC). C&F I39, B30-34; Zanker Chap. 3

20: the principate (19 BC - AD 14). Views of Augustus; his death. Jones Chap. 5; C&F A1, B35-49, B51-53

22: Augustus’ ‘constitutional’ position. Jones Chap. 6; C&F C1

Week 4

25: magistracies and the senate. Jones Chap. 7; C&F C5-6

26: magistracies and the senate cont'd.

27: the provinces. Jones Chap. 8. C&F C9-10, C13-32, L5, L7, L9, M6, M8, N8-9, O1, O10, O15

29: the provinces cont'd.

Week 5

Feb. 1: the army and finance. Jones Chaps. 9 and 10; C&F C3-4; M5.

2: the army and finance cont'd. FIRST PAPER DUE.

3: Analysis: the Augustan reforms. WH Chap. 2

5: MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Part II. Culture and Society

Week 6

8: Overview. WH Chap. 3; Jones Chap. 14

9: Vergil. C&F B50, F1-3

10: Vergil. C&F F4

12: Vergil. C&F F5-6

Week 7

15: NO CLASS-PRESIDENTS DAY

16: Horace. C&F F7-10

17: Horace. C&F F11-17

18: Horace. C&F F18-27, I2b

19: Ovid. C&F F28-30

Week 8

22: Ovid. C&F F31

23: Ovid. C&F F32-43

24: Analysis: Augustan poetry. WH Chap. 5

26: Augustan art and architecture. Zanker Chap. 4; C&F E1-6, J6

Week 9:

Mar. 1: Augustan art and architecture cont’d. Zanker Chap. 5; C&F E7-17

2: Augustan art and architecture cont’d. Zanker Chap. 6; C&F E18-19

3: Analysis: The Augustan building program. WH Chap. 4

5: religion. Jones Chap. 13; C&F D1-13, I3, I5-18, J1a-e

Week 10

8: religion cont'd. Analysis: Augustus as god. WH Chap. 6; Zanker Chap. 8. SECOND PAPER DUE.

9: judicial system. Jones Chaps. 11 & 12; C&F D15-32, I33, I50

10: What was it like to live in Augustan Rome? Jones Chap. 15; I1. Optional: Zanker Chap. 7

12: The legacy of Augustus. C&F K1-5; summary and review

March 17 (Wednesday): FINAL EXAMINATION, 8:30-10:20 AM