hum 110 syllabus (fall 2013)

7/29/2019 Hum 110 Syllabus (Fall 2013)

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Course Syllabus

Hum 110: Humanities in Republican and Imperial Rome

California State University, Fresno Prof: Curtis J. Eastin

Fall, 2013 (MMXIII) Office: Peters 335 (CCCXXXV)

M6:00-8:50, McKee-Fisk 202 (CCII) Hours: M 4:00-4:50, W 4:00-4:50

Schedule #73430 (III units) Phone: (559) 278-1108

email: [email protected]

If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most happy and

prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus.

Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776

Roman civilization stands as one of humanitys greatest achievements. One might say Romes was a civilization that

transcended all boundaries boundaries both figurative and physical of the ancient world into which it emerged.

From humble origins, a tiny village made itself master of its world. Its government, legal system, literary sophistication,

contributions to philosophy, entertainment, art and architecture, engineering, and military arts show but a few facets of its

sweeping and dynamic culture. Many opinions prevail about Roman culture in our contemporary discourse. Was it

decadent? What was the cause of its fall? What do we mean when we talk of the fall of Rome? Do we mean the end of

the res publica (republic) and accession of the first emperor, Augustus? Or do we mean the sack of the Eternal city (410

and 455), or the abdication of Romes final emperor, Romulus Augustus, in 476, and with this latter the so-called end of

Roman civilization itself? Will we in the Western worldmore specifically we here in the United Statessuffer a

similar fate? Are we, too, destined to fall? Is Rome and romanitas expressed best by the severitas and gravitas of a

republican icon like Cato the Elder; the military genius of a Julius Caesar; the mellifluent language of a Cicero; the

Machiavellian political genius of Octavian, or the debauchery of a Caligula? Or was it thepopulus Romanus (the Roman

people), and the many artists, writers, soldiers and citizens that made Rome great? In this course we shall inquire into the

question: who were these people we call Romans? And no less to the point, who did the Romans themselves think they

were? What did it mean to be a Roman? Our answers will prove significant. Because to study the Romans strange

though they are to us moderns is to examine what sort of society we in our own modern age have.

Course Description:

This course is an examination of the unique cultural environment of the ancient city of Rome and the peoplewho made it, its art, architecture, literature, social and political structures, and their interrelationships as

manifested during Republican and Imperial periods of Rome.

Prerequisites: Junior and Senior standing only. G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C.

Required Texts:

Apuleius, The Golden Ass (Oxford University Press, New York 1994)Livy, The Early History of Rome, Books I-V. (Penguin Classics, 2002) 9780140448092Plautus,Pot of Gold and Other Plays (Penguin Classics, 1965) 9780140441499Plutarch,Plutarch, The Makers of Rome (Penguin Classics, 1965)

, The Fall of the Roman Republic (Penguin Ckassics, 1968)Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics, 1989)

Virgil.Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald (New York, 1983) 0679729526Course Reading Packet (available at Kennel Bookstore)


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Course Requirements: Grading Scale:

Attendance and participation: 5 % 100-90 = A

Map quiz: 5 % 89-80 = BMidterm : 30 % 79-70 = C

Essay: 25 % 69-60 = DFinal Examination: 35 % 59 or lower = F

Examinations and Major Assignments:

Attendance: This course depends, in part, on the active involvement of students, so attendance essential andwill be documented. Students are expected to come to class on time and preparedhaving read the days

assignmentready to answer any questions distributed/posted by the instructor. Classroom discussion will beconsidered as participation.

NB:If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were

absent.

Exams: The final exam will consist of short answer and multiple choice and matching questions; identificationof key names, places, and terms; identification of passages from the assigned readings; and one or two short

essay questions. For the passage selections, students will be expected to identify the author, the work, thespeaker (if applicable), and provide the context and significance of the passage. Grading will be based on

accuracy and analysis. Make-up policy: A make-up examination will be granted only for legitimate anddocumented emergencies. Students who find themselves in this situation must contact the instructor as soon as

possible with documentation.

Written Essay: The course essay (1200-1500 words) will address issues in Roman history, philosophy, culture

and literary criticism, and will be evaluated on the use of primary sources and critical analysis of the assigned

question. Grading will also be based on clarity of the thesis, the argument, and prose (English grammar andspelling), as well as the general presentation. Make-up policy: Late essays will not be accepted.

NB: You must complete every assignment by the date of the final exam, or you will not receive credit

for the course.

Classroom Conduct: As one expects of the instructor, so the instructor expects of you.Please arrive to class prepared; turn off all electronic devices; and behave professionally and courteously

throughout the class period. [N.B.: It is RUDE to text during class. Pay attention instead. Worst case scenario,you will learn one thing; best case scenario, you will learn many things.] Class preparation includes not only

having completed the assigned reading but being prepared to participate in and contribute to class discussions

via the corresponding questions which accompany each reading assignment.

****BRING THE ASSIGNED READING MATERIAL TO CLASS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE NOTES.*******


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Course Goals and Primary Learning Outcomes:

The study of Roman literature and culture cultivates intellect, imagination, sensibility and sensitivity in severalways: 1) learning the history of key themes such as the relation of reason to passion or the best form of

government increases student knowledge; 2) reading and analyzing excerpts from masterpieces of Latinliterature increases sensibility and sensitivity to poetry and philosophical ideas, thereby broadening imagination

while at the same time cultivating via analysis an intellectual response to subjective emotional experienceFinally, an intimate knowledge of Latin literature and Roman culture, as well as its influences on later Western

literature and culture, will result in the student's better understanding of the interrelationship between thecreative arts, the humanities and the self.

By studying the humanities in ancient Rome, students will come to understand, appreciate, and analyze the

meaning of our civilization, its cultural background, and the nature and role of language. Modern European andAmerican culture is in many of its essentials derived from ancient Roman culture, whether we are speaking of

poetic forms, aesthetic assumptions, or philosophical ideas about the self and society, not to mention the role ofLatin in influencing the English language: hence studying the humanities will promote an understanding of the

development of contemporary civilization through its historical roots.

Class Schedule

(This syllabus is subject to revision by the instructor, provided that written or verbal notice is given in class.)

Week of: Topic Reading Assignment

I

Aug. 26

Introduction to the course

Why study the Romans?

Course outline: ab urbe condita to Empire

Assigned readings posted in this column are due on

the day they are listed. Intro to Livy, Book I

II

Sept. 2The Regal Period Livy, Book I (cont.)

IIISept. 9

The Regal Period Livy, Book I (cont.)

IV

Sept. 16Comedy: the voice of the republic

Plautus,Pseudolus; Watch A Funny Thing

Happened on the Way to the Forum

V

Sept. 23

Politics

The Rise of Rome

Lecture on the Roman Constitution

Polybius, from The Rise of the Rome

VI

Sept. 30

Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean

Mare NostrumPlutarch,Life of Cato the Elder

Plutarch,Life of Tiberius Gracchus

VIIOct. 7

VIII

Oct, 14

Philosophy & Rhetoric

Ciceropater patriae

Commentarii

Julius Caesarveni, vidi, vici.

Cicero, selections (Reader)

Caesar, selections (Reader)

Plutarch,Life of Julius Caesar

Plutarch, Life of Cicero

Books 2/5 selections


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IX

Oct,21

Poetry and free speach

Catullusodi et amo Catullus, selections (Reader)

X

Oct. 28

Imperium Sine Fine:

VirgilsAeneid

Virgil,Aeneid:

Books I, II, IV, VI & XII

XI

Nov. 4

Imperium Sine Fine:

VirgilsAeneid

Virgil,Aeneid:


XII

Nov. 11

Roman, these are your arts

VirgilsAeneid

Virgil,Aeneid:


XIII

Nov. 18

Poetry

Poeta nascitur non fitThe Augustan Poets

Testimonial

AugustusI found the city brick and left

it marble.

Augustan poets (selections from the reader)

Augustus,Res Gestae (reader)

XIV

Nov. 25

History & Biography, Satire, and the

Ancient Novel:

The Roman Empire (imperium sine fine)

Suetonius,Life of Tiberius &Life of Nero

Selections from the reader

XV

Dec. 2

Empire (cont.)

during which the condition of the

human race was most happy and

prosperous

The Golden Ass, read in toto

XVI

Dec. 9Roman Empire (cont.) The Golden Ass, read in toto

See the following link for the Final Exam Schedule:

http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/classschedule/finals/2013fall.html


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Applicable University Policies

1. Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students withdisabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact

Services to Students with Disabilities in University Center Room 5 (278-2811).

2. Honor Code: Members of the CSU Fresno academic community adhere to principles of academic integrityand mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities. You should:

a) understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course (including nocheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)

b) neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that is used by theinstructor as the basis of grading.

c) take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the instructor orother appropriate official for action.

3. Cheating and Plagiarism: "Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for

the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another studentto do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that

the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a

student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarismis a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of othersby misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work." Penalties for

cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, toexpulsion from the university. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and

plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog(Policies and Regulations).

4. Computers: "At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote

resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required tohave his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer)

with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations andsoftware, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information

Technology Services (http://www.csufresno.edu/ITS/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and classassignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary

communication links to the University's information resources."

5. Disruptive Classroom Behavior: "The classroom is a special environment in which students and facultycome together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the

rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals ofacademic freedom are maintained. ... Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which

are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to

reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop andunderstanding of the community in which they live . . . Student conduct which disrupts the learning processshall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class."

6. Copyright policy: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the

material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses mayrequire permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright

law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, theUniversity encourages you to visit its copyright web page:

http://www.csufresno.edu/library/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/copyrtpolicyfull.pdf

hum 110 syllabus (fall 2013)

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