This unit examines the social and political history of the age of Gaius Julius Caesar: the so-called last generation of the Roman Republic. It looks at Rome as a society in transition and closes with an examination of Rome's political transformation with the dictatorship of Caesar and the rise of his son and heir Octavian (Augustus). Along the way the unit investigates such topics as: the nature of political competition and the growth of violence, Pompey's great commands, rhetoric, religion, the role of women, slavery, and the changing architectural landscape of Rome itself; and probes such abiding issues as the ethics of murder. -- Course Website
Instructor: Associate Professor Tom Hillard, Dr Lea Beness
Prerequisites: AHIS110 or AHST103
