First Year Seminar: Republic or Empire? Recreating Roman Politics of the Second Triumvirate

3 units

The complex legacy of ancient Rome endures to this day, continuing to provide often controversial models for contemporary political systems ranging from democracies to autocracies. This First Year Seminar, which requires no prior knowledge of Roman history or the Latin language, explores the political, military, and social changes experienced during Rome’s transition from republic to principate (empire) during the second half of the first century BCE. The first third of the course will introduce students to the necessary historical background for this tumultuous period and to relevant topics in Roman political and social life. After this introduction, students will engage directly with the Second Triumviral period through a roleplay game (Memento Romane Regere) designed to simulate the decisions faced by individual Romans and important Roman allies during this period. In the process of developing their characters’ political, military, and social careers, students will investigate the following questions: was Rome’s transition from cooperative to autocratic government inevitable; how did Roman social, military, and political systems interact; what was the role that personal relationships played in determining political outcomes; how did Romans negotiate political and social differences; and finally, how were the experiences of living through this difficult time period determined by an individual’s identity? The goal of Memento Romane Regere is to encourage students to think about historical events in human terms and to reconsider the teleological mindset that is fostered by traditional historical narratives.