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Relevant Databases

Ancient and Medieval History Online This link opens in a new window
Offers thorough coverage of world history from prehistory through the mid-1500s. Contains a number of good articles and reference materials about Ancient Rome.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Great source for scholarly research and peer-reviewed articles. Contains many resources regarding various aspects of Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire.

Ancient Rome by Susan E. Hamen The legacy of past civilizations is still with us today. In Ancient Rome, readers discover the history and impressive accomplishments of the ancient Romans, including their military power and feats of engineering. Engaging text provides details on the civilization's history, development, daily life, culture, art, technology, warfare, social organization, and more. Well-chosen maps and images of artifacts bring the past to life. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
Rome and Her Empire by David Shotter The name of Rome excites a picture of power and organisation, as do the widely-spread ruins that Roman civilization left behind. Yet Rome grew out of a collection of small villages and major developments such as the growth of Empire were unplanned and completely unprepared for.Influenced by a small number of self-interested aristocrats who lacked a broader vision, Rome was often threatened by their intrigues. Brought to the ground on a number of occasions, its leaders were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. How did Rome survive for nearly 1000 years, ruling over millions of people with few instances of internal rebellion? David Shotter argues that the key was the way Rome managed to adapt to new circumstances, without at the same time discarding too many of its cherished traditions.
Women and War in Antiquity by Jacqueline Fabre-Serris and Alison Keith Women in ancient Greece and Rome played a much more active role in battle than previously assumed.The martial virtues—courage, loyalty, cunning, and strength—were central to male identity in the ancient world, and antique literature is replete with depictions of men cultivating and exercising these virtues on the battlefield. In Women and War in Antiquity, sixteen scholars reexamine classical sources to uncover the complex but hitherto unexplored relationship between women and war in ancient Greece and Rome. They reveal that women played a much more active role in battle than previously assumed, embodying martial virtues in both real and mythological combat.The essays in the collection, taken from the first meeting of the European Research Network on Gender Studies in Antiquity, approach the topic from philological, historical, and material culture perspectives. The contributors examine discussions of women and war in works that span the ancient canon, from Homer's epics and the major tragedies in Greece to Seneca's stoic writings in first-century Rome. They consider a vast panorama of scenes in which women are portrayed as spectators, critics, victims, causes, and beneficiaries of war.This deft volume, which ultimately challenges the conventional scholarly opposition of standards of masculinity and femininity, will appeal to scholars and students of the classical world, European warfare, and gender studies.
Control of the Laws in the Ancient Democracy at Athens by Edward Carawan The definitive book on judicial review in Athens from the 5th through the 4th centuries BCE.The power of the court to overturn a law or decree—called judicial review—is a critical feature of modern democracies. Contemporary American judges, for example, determine what is consistent with the Constitution, though this practice is often criticized for giving unelected officials the power to strike down laws enacted by the people's representatives. This principle was actually developed more than two thousand years ago in the ancient democracy at Athens. In Control of the Laws in the Ancient Democracy at Athens, Edwin Carawan reassesses the accumulated evidence to construct a new model of how Athenians made law in the time of Plato and Aristotle, while examining how the courts controlled that process. Athenian juries, Carawan explains, were manned by many hundreds of ordinary citizens rather than a judicial elite. Nonetheless, in the 1890s, American apologists found vindication for judicial review in the ancient precedent. They believed that Athenian judges decided the fate of laws and decrees legalistically, focusing on fundamental text, because the speeches that survive from antiquity often involve close scrutiny of statutes attributed to lawgivers such as Solon, much as a modern appellate judge might resort to the wording of the Framers. Carawan argues that inscriptions, speeches, and fragments of lost histories make clear that text-based constitutionalism was not so compelling as the ethos of the community. Carawan explores how the judicial review process changed over time. From the restoration of democracy down to its last decades, the Athenians made significant reforms in their method of legislation, first to expedite a cumbersome process, then to revive the more rigorous safeguards. Jury selection adapted accordingly: the procedure was recast to better represent the polis, and packing the court was thwarted by a complicated lottery. But even as the system evolved, the debate remained much the same: laws and decrees were measured by a standard crafted in the image of the people. Offering a comprehensive account of the ancient origins of an important political institution through philological methods, rhetorical analysis of ancient arguments, and comparisons between models of judicial review in ancient Greece and the modern United States, Control of the Laws in the Ancient Democracy at Athens is an innovative study of ancient Greek law and democracy.
Roman architecture : The Columbia Encyclopedia structures produced by the ancient Romans. The Etruscans The origins of Roman architecture can be traced to the Etruscans, who migrated from Asia Minor to Italy in the 12th cent.
Architecture, Imperial: The Encyclopedia of Empire arts and architecture cultural history imperial history nationalism religious history urban history Abstract Architecture has lent expression to imperial projects across history, both through the assertion of symbolic authority and [...]

Ancient Rome: art, architecture & history by Ada Gabucci; Stefano Peccatori (Editor); Stefano Zuffi (Editor); T. M. Hartmann (Translator)
Call Number: 937 GAB
ISBN: 0892366567
Publication Date: 2002-05-09
Rome: history and treasures of an ancient civilization by Maria Teresa Guaitoli
Call Number: 937 GUA
ISBN: 9788854404564
Publication Date: 2009-01-06
Rome -- Antiquities.
Rome -- History.
Rome -- Civilization.
The Architecture of Ancient Rome by Nigel Rodgers; Hazel Dodge (Consultant Editor)
Call Number: 937.6 ROD
ISBN: 9780754827290
Publication Date: 2013-09-07
Life in Ancient Rome: People and Places, an illustrated reference to art, architecture, religion, society and culture of the Roman world by Nigel Rodgers
Call Number: 937.6 ROD
ISBN: 1844763846
Publication Date: 2007-07-11
Ancient Italy: Journey in search of works of art and the principal archeological sites by Ed. Furio Durando
Call Number: 930 ANC
ISBN: 8880956248
Publication Date: 2001

Assignment Details

Please read this entire post carefully as you will be responsible for following all directions.

The Roman Empire profoundly shaped the modern world, as for almost 700 years, people on three continents—in Europe, Africa, and Asia—gave their allegiance to a single political system, were governed by a unified set of laws, and were members of a distinct cultural community. Consequently, the world owes a tremendous cultural debt to Rome, as it influenced contemporary fields such as art, architecture, entertainment, politics, military tactics, engineering, gender roles, language, literature, law, and religion.

In our class, we have explored many of these legacies, but the subject of Ancient Rome is too vast to be comprehensively examined in a trimester course. To that end, for your final project, you will write a research paper on a topic of your choice and explain how your topic demonstrates Ancient Rome’s influence on the modern world.

You may choose a topic we did not cover, or one that we did cover for which you will provide further insight. Note: if you choose a topic we covered, you will be expected to delve much deeper into the subject!

Deadlines:

Research question approval: Wednesday, November 9th.
Submission of a printed copy of your paper: the beginning of our last class on Thursday, November 17th
You will be able to work on your paper during our five remaining classes. Please use this time wisely. Since the paper is due on the last day of our class, no extensions may be given.

As a first step, choose your topic and submit it in the form of a research question that you will answer in your paper. Deadline for approval of research question: Wednesday, November 9th.

An example of an acceptable research question would be: How did Roman beliefs concerning a woman’s role in society influence current conceptions of femininity and gender roles?

Once you have your research topic approved, you will be given class time to craft your paper.

Your paper should provide background information on your topic. For example, using the example above, you would explain how and why cultural norms developed that determined a woman’s place in Roman society.
After providing the appropriate background information, you would explain how Rome influenced the modern world with regard to your subject. Using the example provided, you would explain the legacy of Roman gender roles by examining how these roles influenced and shaped contemporary perceptions of women, making connections between the ancient and modern worlds.
Your paper will be graded as per the following:
- Cultural competency: did you demonstrate an understanding of how and why the people of Ancient Rome perceived your subject, and how their ideas drove their actions with regard to your topic?
- Critical thinking skills: did you build an evidence-based argument by examining how and why Roman civilization influenced the modern world with regard to your topic?
- Communication: did you clearly explain your argument and answer your research question?

Other directions are as follows:

Your paper should be 3-5 pages, in 12-point font, double-spaced, with standard one-inch margins.
Please be sure to use in-text citations (MLA format)
You will need to use at least FIVE appropriate sources for your research. Please ask me if you have questions about whether a source is appropriate. Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable source.
Your project must include a bibliography with links to your sources.

Your final paper is due at the beginning of our last class on Thursday, November 17th.

Please print your paper and bring it to that class as you will be asked to provide a brief summary of your topic to the class.

Please see me in room 224 during extra help period either before or after school with any questions concerning this assignment. It has been a pleasure working with you these past few months!

Concept Map

Concept Map
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