Overview of History
- The Early Empire (13–69 CE)
- Imperial Succession:
- key requirements for succession;
- what happened to bad emperors
- Determination of Policy:
- role of senate,
- amici,
- emperor
- Machinery of governance:
- at local level
- at provincial level
- Army:
- size (see Augustan lecture)
- terms of service: length, pay, restrictions
- retirement: bonus, position in society
- duties of service: peacetime; wartime
- The Flavian Dynasty (69-96)
- Who were they?
- What are some of the things each accomplished or were known for, if applicable:
- economic
- social
- political
- militarily
- Architecture/Art: Colosseum, Arch of Titus (themes for both)
- How did each die, i.e. natural or not?
- The Five Good Emperors & Commodus (96-192)
- Who were they?
- Where are some from?
- What are some of the things each accomplished or were known for, if applicable:
- the economy
- social changes
- political changes
- military changes
- Art/Architecture:
- Nerva: coin
- Trajan: Baths, Forum, Marketplace, Column (themes on its art)
- Hadrian: Mausoleum, Pantheon (construction themes), Villa at Tivoli
- Antoninus Pius: Base of Column (theme on it)
- Marcus Aurelius: Column (themes on its art)
- How did each die, i.e. natural or not?
- How were things beginning to deteriorate during the reign of Marcus Aurelius?
- 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 & one arch (what missing); main arch (quality of art vs earlier)
- Caracalla: baths
Pompeii and Herculaneum
- Who later wrote an eye witness account of the eruption?
- Why are these cities important for our understanding of Roman culture and life?
- What were the roads like?
- What was the water supply like?
- Name four public buildings at Pompeii that are typical of Roman towns
- Name four private businesses at Pompeii that are typical of Roman towns
- What were the two key exports of Pompeii?
- Know the function of the: atrium, triclinium, lararium, peristyle.
- Know these places: popina, caupona, hospitia--what were they, how did they differ, what could one get at them?
- What were some of the general themes depicted on the art in the houses at Pompeii and Herculaneum?
Mystery Religions
- What are some of the elements most mystery religions had in common?
- Why are they called 'mystery' religions?
- Hallmarks for worship of Isis, Cybele, & Mithras
- What did these new foreign gods and their worship have in common with Christianity?
Christianity
- Why were the Christians mistrusted? Considered atheists?
- What is the Roman view of Christians and Christianity as revealed by the selections from Tacitus (Nero & the great fire), Pliny, Trajan, Minucius Felix, and by the story of Vibia Perpetua?
- What was the Christian response to the Roman charges (Tertullian), esp. those of Trajan and Minucius Felix?
- Know the story of Vibia Perpetua
Possible Essay Questions
- Women: Compare/contrast the following: Perpetua (use the web link) and Turia (Shelton, #330) from the point of view of what was expected of a Roman matron (based on material we have covered in class from Shelton's text).
- Daily Life: The letters of Pliny the Younger and the graffiti found at Pompeii and Herculaneum provide important sources for what life was like in the Early Empire. In your essay look at how the graffiti complements and/or contrasts the view presented by Pliny. For Pliny's letters, use Shelton #325, 328, 331, 332, & 447 and the pdf in Moodle; for the graffiti, see Shelton, #28, 84-5, 89, 94, 123, 131-133. Make sure you support your conclusions with good citations (not just quotations) from the evidence presented in Shelton (you don't need to use all of the evidence, but good representative examples).
- Politics: Compare and contrast two of the following--the Flavian dynasty, the Adoptive Emperors, the Severan dynasty--with respect to at least two of the following: the size of the empire, the military system, the political system (e.g. citizenship, role & composition of the Senate, role of the emperor, local political autonomy or lack of), the use of the media. Make sure you consider the nature of the evidence at some point in your argumentation. Supporting your conclusions with good citations from the primary evidence, which we've covered, in Shelton (where possible) and good citations from the secondary evidence in Shelton, Scarre, Kamm, and/or class notes.
- FYI: don't forget how to organize a comparison/contrast paper!
