Roman History

The history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the late antiquity.

The course is organized into three 20-hour units, A, B and C.

Part A: Rome from its foundation to the 2nd century BC
Part A will start with an introduction to the ancient evidence - literary, epigraphical and archaeological sources - which are normally employed for the reconstruction of the history of Rome. Special attention will be paid to historiographical traditions, which will be outlined by references to the most important ancient historians. Thereafter, following a brief excursus devoted to the mythical origins of Rome, the course will treat the monarchic age of Rome, by focusing on the most relevant facts and figures of that period. After outlining the Etruscan period of Rome, the course will proceed to analyse the most relevant themes regarding the fall of the monarchy and the subsequent birth of the Republican state.
Following this part, a section of the unit will be devoted to a short detailed introduction to the principal Roman political and administrative institutions and figures, such as magistrates, assemblies, etc., which will help students better comprehend the development of the history of the city.
Afterwards, the course will focus on the period from the 5th century BC to the Hannibalic war, by paying a special attention to the following themes:
· The patrician-plebeian conflict and the emergence of the nobilitas.
· Early Roman expansionism in Latium and central Italy.
· Relationships between Rome and the Latin League.
· The Samnitic Wars.
· Pyrrhus' campaign in Italy and Sicily and the prodromes of the First Punic War.
· Roman expansionism in southern Italy.
· The First Punic War.
· The Second Punic War and its consequences on Roman expansionistic strategy in the Italian peninsula.
· Roman expansionism outside Italy, especially in Iberia.
· The creation of the first provinces and the implementation of the first administrative measures to manage newly incorporated territories.
· The development of the political clash in Rome between 3rd and 2nd century BC.
Whilst studying the early stages of Roman expansionism in central Italy, particular attention will be paid to describing the main administrative tools that Rome employed to control its new territory, such as strategy of colonization, pacts, foedera, etc.

Part B: From the late Republic to the early Principate
Part B will be devoted to the analysis of the main events of the history of Rome between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, by especially focusing on the international role that Rome progressively took on in the Mediterranean area.
Among the most significant facts of the period under analysis, the course will delve into the following themes:
· Early diplomatic-political contacts between Rome and Greek communities.
· Early diplomatic-political contacts between Rome and Hellenistic kingdoms: the Macedonian Wars and the Syrian War.
· Consequences of Roman expansionism: the agrarian crisis and Ti. Gracchus' and C. Gracchus' reforms.
· The emergence of C. Marius and the reform of the Roman army.
· Relationships between Rome and Italic communities until, during and after the Social War.
· The civil wars and Sulla's reform of the Roman state.
· The development of political life in Rome from the first triumvirate to Caesar's death.
· Octavianus' emergence and the foundation of the principate.
· Main characteristics of the Augustan principate: political reforms, new cultural impulses, further expansionism of the Roman empire.
· Main aspects of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
· The fall of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the beginning of the Flavian power.

Part C: Evolution of Rome's history from the second century CE to the dawn of the fourth century CE.
Part C will focus on the analysis of the most significant aspects of Rome's history in the period from the beginning of the 2nd century AD to the Constantinian age.
After recalling the circumstances that brought Nerva to power and the adoption of Trajan, the course will retrace the most distinctive features of the principalities of the second and third centuries A.D., leading up to the dawn of the fourth century A.D. with the establishment of Severan power. Particular attention will be paid to the political, military, economic, administrative and cultural aspects of the period, thanks in part to the reading of passages from ancient, epigraphic and literary sources.