Rome and the Caesars CCIV118 SP

The Rome of the Caesars has always fascinated historians, moralists and writers of imaginative literature. The conventional picture of moral and political degeneration is well known. But how did Romans of the first century A.D. view their own times? We will try to find some answers to this question in the writings of the historians Tacitus and Suetonius, the satirists Petronius and Juvenal, the poet Ovid and the moralist, dramatist and statesman Seneca. Topics discussed will include the accommodation of Roman society to the reality of imperial power and the question of decadence in morality, literature, public taste and popular entertainment.

MAJOR READINGS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

COURSE FORMAT: Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA CLAS

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-10-1997