The Roman Republic

This course will examine the history of Rome from its foundation in 753 BC, to its transformation into an Empire by AD 14. We will look at the idealism of the Republican political structure – an idealism borrowed in 1776 to create the American Constitution – and we will trace Rome’s transition from an insular polity concerned with local affairs to its undisputed mastery of the Mediterranean. The course will focus on key events in Republican history which came to define Rome’s militaristic, aggressive identity, such as the Second Punic War. We will also look to more recent events as we discuss the role of corporate greed, failures in political morality, debt, and economic issues in triggering the collapse of the Republic and the emergence of a dictatorial monarchy – the Empire. The continuation of this course is CLCV HIST 2905A, The Roman Empire, which will be offered in the Winter of 2016.