Fall of Rome                                                                                                                          510:305

Verbrugghe                                                                                                                9:05-10:00 AM

Spring, 2012                                                                                                                                       

 

Syllabus

 

     This course traces the history of the Roman Empire from its height in the second century AD to its dismemberment (fall?) in the fifth century and the emergence of three separate successor worlds in the seventh century: in the west of Europe, Christian German-Roman kingdoms, in the east of Europe and in Turkey, a Greek-Christian empire, and in northern Africa and southwestern Asia, a Muslim-Arabic Empire. The course concentrates on the make-up of the elite. Who ran the Roman Empire? Who ran the three separate worlds the Empire became?

     This course is structured around a series of lectures and discussions with readings meant either to illustrate further what is developed in class or to offer the “proof” for the conclusions drawn about the Roman Empire.

 

My home page is http://crab.rutgers.edu/~verbrugg/, which under courses for 510:305 has this syllabus and the URL to Sakai Rutgers, also given here (https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal). At Sakai Rutgers are available: some required readings; questions, which should help with the readings; essay questions; maps; requirements for the papers; and other material. We, each of us upon registration for this class, are automatically subscribed both to Sakai Rutgers and to a mailing list I have created for this course: Fall_of_Rome_2012@rams.rutgers.edu. Class communications, announcements, discussions, etc., can be carried on this list.

 

Required Readings Available at the Bookstore:

Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity (ISBN 9780393958034) = Brown

Ammianus Marcellinus, The Later Roman Empire, AD 354-378, translated by Walter Hamilton (Penguin ISBN 9780140444063)

Apuleius, The Golden Ass, (ISBN 9780140435900)

Lives of the Later Caesars, translated by Anthony Birley = S. H. A. (for Scriptores Historiae Augustae) (ISBN 9780140443080)

Required Readings available on Sakai:

Aelius Aristides, Panegyric on Rome

Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chaps. XV and XVI.

Eusebius’ Life of Constantine

The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp

The Gospel according to St. Mark

Basil of Caesarea’s Address to his Nephews

Basis for the Determination of Final Grade:

            There will be six quizzes, two hourly examinations, a final examination, and two 5-7 page papers. A number grade will be given for each hourly examination, the final examination, the papers, and the six quizzes. The average of the six quizzes will count 20% of the final grade, the average of the two hourly examinations will count 25% of the final grade, the average of the two papers will count 25% of the final grade, and the final examination will count 30% of the final grade. The resulting figure will have the following letter grade correspondence:

                                                    100 - 90 = A

                                                      89 - 80 = B

                                                      79 - 70 = C

                                                      69 - 60 = D

                                                      59 -   0 = F

            My office is 200 in 429 Cooper Street. I will be available for questions or consultation each class day (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from 7:30to 8:45 A. M. If this time is not possible, we can arrange a mutually convenient time to meet. My office phone number is 225-6075; my E–mail address is verbrugg@camden.rutgers.edu; please, put “Fall of Rome” in the heading to alert me.

 

Class Policies:

                        Please feel free to use whatever means you want to help you in class: laptops for note-taking, recordings of lectures, or just plain note taking. The Power Point presentations in class are NOT available on Sakai.

                        Your in-class quizzes and in-class essays are to be your own work exclusively. Notes or prewritten work to be used during in-class quizzes and in-class examinations are not allowed. Once in the classroom, you should not use your phone, nor should you disrupt the class by leaving to use the bathroom.

                        I expect the reading assignments to be done for the class day they are assigned. A good rule of thumb is that for every hour of class, two hours of preparation are necessary.

                        Stated policy is that there are NO make-up Examinations or Quizzes. This policy is easily vitiated, if you are going to have to miss taking a Quiz or Examination when scheduled because of absolutely unavoidable circumstances. Courtesy and I, however, demand that you notify me beforehand or in an unforeseen and unforeseeable situation as soon as possible afterwards (NOT just the next time you happen to be in class) in person, by phone, or by e-mail so that arrangements can be made to make up the quiz or examination you unavoidably missed.

 

Schedule of meetings, assignments, quizzes, and examinations:

 

Jan. 18, 20, 23, 25 (Four Classes)

                                    Introduction to and overview of the Course

                                    Among the topics to be covered:

                                                1. Roman Governmental System

                                                2. Description of the Empire

                                                3. Description of Rome

                                                4. City Life (Pompeii)

                                                5. Sources

 

                        Jan. 23            Last Day to DROP course without $5.00 fee and without a grade of "W"

 

Jan. 27, 30, Feb. 1 (Three classes)

                                    The Second Century A. D. - The "Good" Emperors

                        Read Brown, pp. 7-21

                        Read S. H. A. 1-160

                        Read Aelius Aristides Panegyric on Rome

 

                        Jan. 30             Quiz 1 on S. H. A. 1-160 and Aristides’ Panegyric

 

Feb. 3, 6, 8 (Three classes)

                                    The Militarization of the Empire

                        Read S. H. A. 161-316

 

                        Feb. 3 at sundown – Birthday of the Prophet (Sunni)

 

                        Feb. 6              Quiz 2 on S. H. A. 161-316

 

                        Feb.8 at sundown – Birthday of the Prophet (Shia)

 

Feb. 10, 13, 15 (Three classes)

                                    The Roman Anarchy

                        Read Brown, pp. 22-33

 

Feb. 17            First Hourly Examination

 

Feb. 20, 22, 24, 27 (Four classes)

                                    The Reforms of Diocletian and Constantine

                        Read Brown, pp. 34-47

                        Read Eusebius’ Life of Constantine

 

                        Feb. 22            Quiz 3 on Eusebius' Life of Constantine

 

Feb. 29, Mar. 2, 5, 7, 9, 19, 21, 23 (Eight classes)

                                    Religion and the Ancient World - Conversion

                        Read Brown, pp. 48-113

                        Read Gospel of Mark

                        Read Apuleius, The Golden Ass

                        Read The Martyrdom of St.Polycarp

                        Read Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Chap. XV, “The Progress of the Christian Religion …” and Chap. XVI, “The Conduct of the Roman Government towards the Christians …”

 

                        Mar. 5              Quiz 4 on Gospel of Mark, Apuleius' The Golden Ass, and The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp

 

                        Mar. 7 at sundown - Purim

 

                        Mar. 7              First Paper Due

 

 

                        Week of Mar. 12 to 17          Spring Break

 

 

Mar. 26            Second Hourly Examination

 

Mar. 28, 30, Apr. 2, 4 (Four classes)

                                    The Fourth Century after Constantine

                        Read Brown, pp. 115-125

                        Read Selections from Ammianus Marcellinus Bk. 14: 1, 7, 9-11; Bk. 15: 1-5, 8; Bk. 16: 1-5, 11-12; Bk. 17: 1-3; Bk. 20: 4-5; Bk. 21: 5-9, 15-16; Bk. 22: 5, 9-10, 12-16; Bk. 23; Bk. 24; Bk. 25

 

                        Apr. 3             Last Day to DROP course with a "W" grade upon payment of a $5.00 fee without having to petition the Scholastic Standing Committee.

 

                        Apr. 4              Quiz 5 on Selections from Ammianus Marcellinus

 

Apr. 6, 9, 11, 13 (Four Classes)

                                    The long Fifth Century: The Barbarian Kingdoms in the West and the Byzantine Empire

                        Read Brown, pp. 126-135

                        Read Ammianus Marcellinus 313-443 (Books 26-31)

 

                        Apr. 6 – Passover begins at Sundown

                        Apr. 6 – Good Friday

 

Apr. 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30 (Seven Classes)

                                    The End of the Mediterranean World and The Pirenne Thesis

                        Read Brown, pp. 137-203

                        Read Basil’s Address to Young Men

 

                        Apr. 18            Quiz 6 on Ammianus Marcellinus 313-443, Basil’s Address,

 

                        Apr. 23            Second Paper Due

 

May 4              Friday, 9:00 A.M.

                        Final Examination