Especially important are   Romarch and Forum Romanum

MORE INFORMATION AND MATTERS OF POLICY

OBJECTIVES Roman Civilization is a huge topic, for which, to even adequately to skim its surface, would take several semesters -- one for the history, one for the literature, one for the culture, one for the art, etc. Obviously this is not possible. Thus our goal will be to present a very general overview of Roman Civilization. We shall concentrate primarily on the history, the literature and the art and architecture, and as we do so we shall build up our understanding of overall Roman civilization.

Or perhaps I should have said ‘Roman civilizations’. When I took Roman History in graduate school, there was a tendency to concentrate on a rather narrow period, say from the Gracchi of the later Roman republic to Nero, the last Julio-Claudian emperor, roughly from 133 B.C. to 69 A.D. Such a selection not only ignores the earlier period in which Rome became an international empire, but also the long stretch of later antiquity which saw the rise and establishment of Christianity and set up the basis for Medieval (and hence modern) Western Europe. In this class we shall look how these very different Roman civilizations developed and transformed from one to another, for example, how the triumphant archaic Roman republic became the unstable and violent Late Republic. We shall also look at those ideals, philosophies and works of art that both deeply influenced the Romans and made an enormous impact on later Western Civilization.

GRADING The grading will be based on the components listed above. The 13% homework and short paper grade will have two components; first the grades of the nine or ten homeworks I shall probably give in the course of the semester; second, probably three or four short papers (no more than three to five pages) on a topic I shall assign.

The open-book take home Diagnostic test will have the same format as the regular one period tests (although it may be a bit longer) and will both test your mastery of the material and let you know how I grade tests. The Final will be about 70% longer than the usual 50 minute test.. All the tests will be 60% short answer, fill in blank and multiple choice, and 40% essay question.

ABSENCES Because there is a close correlation between class attendance and satisfactory performance, the student is expected to come to class. Being present means being on time for class. Not only will coming to class late hurt you, but it late entries are a distraction for other students and the professor. I will take role each day, and, after the first three days of class, absences will count. The first five absences will be not count, but thereafter each absence will cause the deduction of one point from your overall semester score. And remember, being present means being on time. Thus, if you are not present when I finish calling the role, you are absent. If you come up after class and tell me you were present, I will count it as only half an absence. Exceptions are made for illness with a doctor's excuse, a major car accident or extraordinary snow conditions. But otherwise, it is the student's responsibility to take the necessary measures to be in class on time. Also, if by some chance you are too ill to take a test, you must (I mean must) see a doctor or some sort of medical specialist to confirm this condition. Also, you must tell me about the absence and schedule a make up within two days. You must leave a message with me, either at my office (655-5292) or with the Classics secretary at 655-4419. Do not come to me days or weeks after such an absence and expect me to allow a make up for a test.

TIME REQUIRED FOR STUDY The general rule is that a student should spend around two hours studying for each hour of class time. There will be quite a bit of reading as well ­ students should be prepared to read 20-50 pages for each class period.

DEALING WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES Face it, college life is often tough, and even the brightest students have problems. The essential point to remember is if you are having a problem, do something about it as early as possible. Meeting with me during office hours or during a special appointment, obtaining help from your peers, or even hiring a tutor are available solutions. Do not sit still and assume you will figure out the problem by yourself. Remember, we often are the last ones to know just what our problems really are and what to do about them.

OFFICE HOURS My office hours are listed above, although they may change in the course of the semester. I am more than willing to make special appointments. Further, I tend to spend a lot of time around the department and in my office, and I do not mind drop-ins. If I am too busy, I will gladly arrange another time. For those who are computer savvy, do not hesitate to send e-mail to me.

If you are looking at the syllabus and are not able to use e-mail, (for example, some of the campus machines are not set up to send e-mail), click on the link below to go to page where you can just type your questions and comments in the window and press the Submit button to send them to me. That is all you need to do.However,if you wish me to respond, you need to include some number or address by which I can reach you. I cannot simply reply to the e-mail this generates.

 CLICK HERE TO GO TO ALVARES' MESSAGE PAGE

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY in any and all of its forms will not be tolerated. If caught cheating, the best that can happen to you is that you will fail the course.

Tentative Schedule of Class Meetings and Topics

During the semester, there will be interruptions, digressions, etc. and I probably will fall behind the schedule. Plus, since this is the first time I am teaching this course in this format, I will almost certainly have to make some adjustments, although the dates for the tests are utterly fixed. This schedule tells you what we shall discuss on a given day and what you will be responsible for on that day. But this is an ideal schedule, subject to modification. If I fall behind, you can tell what I will do next by the order of topics and readings on the schedule below. Also, as time dictates, I may have to drop certain readings or topics. I shall take care to inform you of this. But it is the student's responsibility to make sure what will be covered in class. If you are absent, you should call or e-mail me to find out what will be covered during the next class period.

Lectures and Extra Credit Opportunities! The Department of Classics and General Humanities is sponsoring various lectures of the American Archaeological Association. For extra credit, attend the lecture, write up about a half page or so about the lecture and what you got out of it, with some specific detail to let me know you were there and awake. I shall provide information later about when these lectures will be held. They are usually in Brantl Lecture Hall, (Dickson) on a Tuesday evening, starting either 7 or 8 PM. Our first lecture will be held Tuesday, January 25, 2000 at 8:00 P.M., on "Roman Coins, Roman History." by Dr. William E. Metcalf, Chief Curator, American Numismatic Society

Dr. Metcalf, who received his Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan in 1975, is a widely known scholar of Roman numismatics, with a special emphasis on coins and coinage as historical evidence for the classical world. He is particularly known for his studies of Roman coinage in the earlier Imperial age. In this talk, he will examine the uses to which the evidence of coins can be put, as well as abuses that have been committed in the name of science. Areas that he will examine include the interpretation of coin images, the reliability of portraits and architectural representations on coins, and the processes -- intellectual, artistic, political, and economic --- which lay behind the creation of Roman coins.

visits since Jan. 17, 2000

      Back to the home page of Jean Alvares