CLAS 2029 - Rome! Rise of Empire from 509BC to AD14

Rome was the greatest city in the ancient world; the Roman empire is one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. This module on Roman Republican History looks at the emergence of city and empire in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. It will also place a special emphasis on the tumultuous and violent politics that overtook the Late Republic as it moved through the first century BC; for even as the power of Rome spread far and wide, serious social problems and intense rivalries emerged at home. We will consider how and why the fight to maintain domestic order became even more desperate and difficult than the task of dominating overseas. In this period of history, all attention shifts onto Rome -- what happened then and there shook the ancient Mediterranean and had far-reaching consequences we still feel today.