The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCL102 OR CASCL322) or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - The causes and consequences of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Topics include Romans and barbarians; the rise and spread of Christianity; Constantine the Great; the death of classic paganism; theories of decline; the grand strategy of the Roman Empire; monasticism; the emergence of Byzantium and Constantinople; the origins of Islam; and the transformation of classical art, literature, and thought and their influence on Christianity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.