Roman Republic
HIST 40203 • HIST 55203 / Fall 2024
This course counts towards the Histories of Statemaking and the Limits of Power & Histories of Conflict, Justice, and Peace Concentrations
![](images/roman-republic/Marble portrait head of Pompey the Great - early Imperial, after a 1st c BCE original - from Rome, Tomb of the Licinii.jpg)
Portrait of Pompey the Great
Instructor: Dr. Charles E. Muntz
Time: MWF 10:45-11:35 am
Place: 239 Graduate Education
Dr. Muntz's Office: 408 Old Main
Office Hours: M 1:00-2:30 and by appointment
Phone: (479) 575-5891
Email: cmuntz@uark.edu
Overview
History of Rome from its origins in the eighth century BCE down to the fall of the Republic in the first century BCE. Topics include the sources for Roman history, the development, functioning, and ultimate failure of republican government, the Roman army, and Roman imperialism in Italy and the Mediterranean.
Learning Outcomes (Undergraduates)
• Students will be able to evaluate the ancient sources for the Roman Republic and the problems with using them.
• Students will understand the evolution the political system of the Roman Republic.
• Students will understand the development of the Roman Empire during the middle and late Republican period.
• Students will be able to describe the relationship of the Romans and Greeks during the late Republic
Learning Outcomes (Graduates) - all of the above, plus
• Engage with and evaluate modern scholarship on the Roman Republic
• Assess historiographic trends on the Roman Republic
Workload
Exams: There will be an in-class midterm on September 30 consisting of essays, and a final exam on Monday, December 9 from 10:15-12:15, consisting of essays. Study guides will be made available.
Short Paper: A 1600-1800 word paper comparing an extract from Livy with Livy's original source is due on September 13. Assignment and texts can be found here.
Long Paper (Undergraduates): A 3200-3600 word paper analyzing how Livy's presentation of Roman history in his first three books was influenced by the events in the late Republican period. Due December 5. Assignment can be found here.
Long Paper (Graduates): A 3500-4000 word research paper on a topic of the student's choice, in consultation with professor. Due December 5.
Class Participation: Certain class periods are set aside for class discussions. Questions based on the primary sources to get things started can be found here, but feel free to raise other issues or questions on your own.
Grading policies for discussions
Attendance: Regular attendance is important. I will allow each student to miss up to three classes without penalty to cover things like illness and religious observances. However, absences on discussion days or days when graded material is due are not permitted except by prior arrangement or in case of emergencies. Please email me in advance if you are going to miss class. For each absence after the first three, unless there is a serious problem or illness, I will lower the final participation grade by 10 points. If you do have to miss a class, make sure you meet with another student to find out what you missed!
Grade Breakdown:
Participation: 15%
Paper 1: 15%
Paper 2: 30%
Midterm: 15%
Final: 25%
Reading Materials
Required Texts:
Berry, D. H. Cicero: Defence Speeches. ISBN 0199537909.
Berry, D. H. Cicero: Political Speeches. ISBN 0199540136.
Luce, T. J. Livy: The Rise of Rome, Books 1-5. ISBN 0199540047.
Scott-Kilvert, Ian. Polybius: The Rise of the Roman Empire. ISBN 0140443622.
Woodman, A. J. Sallust: Catiline's War, The Jugurthine War, Histories. ISBN 9780140449488.
Other texts will be made available via links under the Daily Topics
Super resource if you need to look up a person or topic (much better than Wikipedia or other web sources):
The Oxford Classical Dictionary
Policies
Academic Integrity: As a core part of its mission, the University of Arkansas provides students with the opportunity to further their educational goals through programs of study and research in an environment that promotes freedom of inquiry and academic responsibility. Accomplishing this mission is only possible when intellectual honesty and individual integrity prevail.
Each University of Arkansas student is required to be familiar with and abide by the University’s ‘Academic Integrity Policy’ which may be found at http://provost.uark.edu/. Students with questions about how these policies apply to a particular course or assignment should immediately contact their instructor.
Equal Access: University of Arkansas Academic Policy Series 1520.10 requires that students with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact me privately at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Center for Educational Access (contact 479-575-3104 or visit http://cea.uark.edu for more information on registration procedures).
Unauthorized Websites or Internet Resources: There are many websites claiming to offer study aids to students, but in using such websites, students could find themselves in violation of our University’s Academic Integrity and Code of Student Life policies. These websites include (but are not limited to) Quizlet, Bartleby, Course Hero, Chegg, and Clutch Prep. The U of A does not endorse the use of these products in an unethical manner. These websites may encourage students to upload course materials, such as test questions, individual assignments, and examples of graded material. Such materials are the intellectual property of instructors, the university, or publishers and may not be distributed without prior authorization. Furthermore, paying for academic work to be completed on your behalf and submitting it for academic credit is considered ‘contract cheating’ per the Academic Integrity Policy. Students found responsible for this type of violation face a grading penalty of ‘XF’ and a minimum one-semester academic suspension per the University of Arkansas Sanction Rubric. The use of AI such as ChatGPT and similar tools is also prohibited. Please let me know if you are uncertain about the use of a website.
Unauthorized Recording by Student: Recording, or transmission of a recording, of all or any portion of a class is prohibited unless the recording is necessary for educational accommodation as expressly authorized and documented through the Center for Educational Access with proper advance notice to the instructor. Unauthorized recordings may violate federal law, state law, and university policies. Student-made recordings are subject to the same restrictions as instructor- made recordings. Failure to comply with this provision will result in a referral to the Office of Student Standards and Conduct for potential charges under the Code of Student Life. In situations where the recordings are used to gain an academic advantage, it may also be considered a violation of the University of Arkansas' academic integrity policy.
Recording of Class Lectures: By attending this class, student understands the course may be recorded and consents to being recorded for official university educational purposes. Be aware that incidental recording may also occur before and after official class times.
Unauthorized Use and Distribution of Class Notes: Third parties may attempt to connect with you to buy your notes and other course information from this class. I will consider distributing course materials to a third party without my authorization a violation of my intellectual property rights and/or copyright law as well as a violation of the University of Arkansas' academic integrity policy. Continued enrollment in this class signifies your intent to abide by the policy. Any violation will be reported to the Office of Academic Initiatives and Integrity.
Please be aware that such class materials that may have already been given to such third parties may contain errors, which could affect your performance or grade. If a third party should contact you regarding such an offer, I would appreciate your bringing this to my attention. We all play a part in creating a course climate of integrity.
Miscellaneous: Please turn off and put away all cell phones and any other non-course related items and finish any food you might be eating or drinking before coming into class. Please remain seated during class - if you need to use the lavatory, do so before or after class.
Daily Topics and Reading Assignments
Week 1
August 19: Introduction
August 21: Sources for the Early Roman Republic
Livy Preface, Book 1.1-41
August 23: The Regal Period
Livy 1.42-60
Week 2
August 26: Archaic Roman Religion
Livy 2.1-42
August 28: Birth of the Res Publica
Livy 2.43-65
August 30: Livy and Early Rome Discussion
Review Livy Books 1 & 2
Week 3
September 2: Labor Day, No Class
September 4: Rome and the Latins
Livy 3.1-35
September 6: The Conflict of Orders
Livy 3.36-72
Week 4
September 9: XII Tables Discussion
September 11: Patricians and Plebeians, Oh My!
Livy 4.1-20
September 13: Conquest of Italy / First Paper Due
Week 5
September 16: Meet the Greeks!
Plutarch: Life of Pyrrhus, esp. 13-34
September 18: The First Punic War
Start Polybius Book 1
September 20: Polybius Discussion 1
Finish Polybius Book 1
Week 6
September 23: The Second Punic War 1
Polybius Book 3.1-15, 20-33, 50-56, 77-85, 106-118
September 25: The Second Punic War 2
Polybius Books 9, 10, 11, & 15.15-18
September 27: Polybius Discussion 2
Polybius Book 6 (you can skim chapters 19-42)
Week 7
September 30: Midterm
October 2: Rome & the Greeks
October 4: Carthago Delenda Est
Appian: Punic Wars 11-20
Week 8
October 7: Rome & Greek Culture
Plutarch: Life of Cato the Elder
October 9: The Problems of Empire
Appian: Civil Wars 1.1-34
October 11: The Gracchi Brothers
Plutarch: Lives of Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus (these are two separate lives)
Week 9
October 14: Fall Break
October 16: Marius and the New Roman Army
Start Sallust: War with Jugurtha
October 18: Sallust Discussion 1
Finish Sallust: War with Jugurtha
Week 10
October 21: Sulla
Appian: Civil Wars 1.35-104
October 23: The Rise of Pompey the Great
Cicero (Political Speeches): On the Command of Gnaeus Pompous
Cicero (Political Speeches): Against Verres II.5 (start)
October 25: How (not) to Run a Roman Province Discussion
Cicero (Political Speeches): Against Verres II.5 (finish)
Week 11
October 28: Cicero
Cicero (Political Speeches): Against Catiline I & II
October 30: The Three-Headed Monster
Cicero (Defence Speeches): For Archias
November 1: No Class, Dr. Muntz will be at a conference
Week 12
November 4: The Patrician Tribune
Cicero (Defence Speeches): For Caelius
November 6: The Coming of Civil War
Cicero (Defence Speeches): For Milo (start)
November 8: Cicero Discussion
Cicero (Defence Speeches): For Milo (finish)
Week 13
November 11: Caesar v. Pompey
Caesar: Civil War extracts
November 13: The Dictator
Cicero (Political Speeches): For Marcellus
November 15: Caesar Discussion
Week 14
November 18: The Consul Antonius
Cicero (Political Speeches): Philippic II
November 20: Latin Literature in the Late Republic
Catullus Selection - just read poems 1-60, pp. 31-90 (don't worry, the poems are all short!)
November 22: Caesar's Heir
Start Sallust: War with Catiline
Week 15
November 25: Sallust Discussion 2
Finish Sallust: War with Catiline
November 27: Thanksgiving Break
November 29: Thanksgiving Break
Week 16
December 2: The Triumvirate
December 4: Octavian v. Antony
December 5: Second Paper Due
Monday December 9 at 10:15 am: Final Exam!