Overview of History (180 – 476+)
- Gradual Disintegration (180–284CE)
- Commodus (180–192)
- His father? His sister? Liked to fight as? Believed he was?
- The Severan Dynasty (193-235)
- Who were the two emperors just prior to Septimius Severus?
- What external enemy did Severus fight? What title did he take as a result of his final victory?
- What 3 changes did he make to the army?
- Role of Julia Domna?
- God that Severus favored? Goddess that Julia worshipped
- Severus' philosophy of rule?
- What happened to Geta?
- Significance of Caracalla's edit about Roman citizenship?
- Details and significance of Caracalla's coinage change?
- God that Elagabalus worshipped
- Severus Alexander-role of Julia Mammaea
- which of the above died a natural death, which did not?
- Art & Architecture:
- Septimius Severus: image of family, Argentarii Arch (what missing; what imperial family doing); main arch (quality of art vs earlier; victories over ..., similar to ...)
- Caracalla: baths & art (Hercules, Punishment of Dirce, Tyrannicides)
- The Barracks Emperors (235–284)
- Significance of the following emperors: Philip I (the Arab), Valerian, Aurelian
- What happens to: the coinage, the boundaries of the empire, the emperors, the economy, the cities & countryside
- Enemies to the east? to the north?
- Partial Recovery (284–337)
- Diocletian (284–305)
- How did he change the administration of the empire — tetrarchy, diocese with a vicarius, smaller units
- How did he treat the Christians?
- What did Diocletian do in regard to prices, wages, freedom of profession, and freedom of movement?
- Division of army into?
- Constantine (306–337)
- Christianity & Constantine:
- Vision/Dream prior to battle of Milvian Bridge
- Edict of Milan
- Council of Nicaea
- Basilica of St. John Lateran & Basilica of St Peter
- when baptized?
- Where did he move the capital to?
- Division of army into?
- Two non-Roman groups he defeated & how he treated them after he defeated them?
- The Fall of "Rome" (337–476, in the West; 337–1453 in the East)
- Significance of: Theodosius I, Arcadius & Honorius
- The significance of, for the Western part of the empire:
- The Huns
- Alaric
- Romulus Augustulus
- Odoacer
- Justinian
- What he conquered and significance
- What is the Hagia Sophia
- How he reformed the Law Code
- Plague in 452: what was it? significance?
- Role of Theodora (who was ...)
Entertainment
- Spectacles
- When did the Romans get days off work?
- How far back did the Romans attribute their religious festivals?
- The Roman name for the festivals with entertainment was?
- By 100 BC how many religious festivals had entertainment and how many days out of the year?
- Who paid for the entertainment — during the Republic? During the Empire?
- Theater(drama): Were the performers male or female or both? Masks? Dialogue? Song? two main types?
- Pantomime: Were the performers male or female or both? Masks? Dialogue? Music? Dance?
- Mime: Were the performers male or female or both? Masks? Dialogue? Plots typically had?
- The Arena & The Circus: see below
- Of the five mentioned above, which was the most popular form of public entertainment?
- The Arena
- What are its origins?
- Why did they increase in size & scope?
- What did the typical program consist of: in the morning, at lunch time, in the afternoon?
- Who were gladiators?
- What happened if they were successful?
- Did all approve of the games?
- Popularity outside of Rome?
- What effect did the games have on the eco-system?
- The Circus
- What are its origins?
- What were the basic teams & their colors?
- What were the two most common number of horses per chariot?
- How did they count laps?
- What was the most important location for the races at Rome and how many could sit there?
- Who were the racers?
- What happened if they were successful?
- When did the races take place?
- Literacy
- what are the types of things they wrote on?
- who could read/write?
- Codex: what is it, what group tended to prefer the codex over the papyrus scroll?
- Dining/Food
- When did they eat their main meal?
- How long did the main meal last?
- Who ate when?
- How did they 'sit'?
- What is garum?
Topics to choose from:
Note: Don't forget how to organize comparison/contrast essays.
- Women: "Strength and honor"(Maximus & others in Gladiator). Based on the quote, compare/contrast Lucilla (from Gladiator) and Julia Domna (Kebric, Ch 8). If you wish, you may also use Vibia Perpetua (Kebric, Ch 9 and web source) in addition to Julia Domna. In your conclusion address the significance of the similarities and/or differences.
- Entertainment (The Arena): Gracchus, in Gladiator, says "The beating heart of Rome is ... the sand of the Colosseum. He'll bring them death and they will love him for it." Compare how the popularity of the gladiatorial games in the movie Gladiator and the popularity of the gladiatorial games in the ancient Roman world [based on material in two of the following: Shelton, Scarre, Kebric, and McManus (Arena: Gladiatorial Games)]. Make sure you indicate where your examples are coming from, e.g. an inscription in Shelton. In your conclusion also hypothesize what the popularity of the movie's gladiatorial games for modern audiences tells us.
- Religion: Maximus, in Gladiator, says "Ancestors, I ask you for your guidance. ... Ancestors, I honor you and will try to live with the dignity that you have taught me." Compare in what ways the depiction of religion in the movie Gladiator and the depiction in the primary source material which you have read in Shelton and Kebric. Make sure you have at least multiple examples from both Shelton and Kebric and that you indicate where your examples are coming from, e.g. an inscription in Shelton or Perpetua's diary in Kebric. You may also use information from Scarre and the McManus, if you wish.
- Politics: Both of the following quotes are used to describe Rome in contrast to the rest of the world early in the movie Gladiator:
- Maximus: "I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light."
- Marcus Aurelius: "There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish."
Using only the information from our texts [and class notes if needed], evaluate what the "dream" or "light" was during 2–3 of the following periods:
- the Severan Dynasty
- the time of the Barracks Emperors
- the rule of Diocletian
- the rule of Constantine I
