This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
It’s difficult to tell the story of Western Civilization without dwelling upon the incredible history of the Ancient Romans: They defeated the powerful Carthaginians, they massively expanded the geographic reaches of civilized society, they made significant contributions to philosophy, and provided a long period of peace and prosperity in which the seed of Christendom was planted.
Total classes: 14
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: High School (Adjustments can be made to assignments in order to accommodate Middle School students.)
Suggested credit: One full semester European History or World History or Ancient History
Description
It’s difficult to tell the story of Western Civilization without dwelling upon the incredible history of the Ancient Romans: They defeated the powerful Carthaginians, they massively expanded the geographic reaches of civilized society, they made significant contributions to philosophy, and provided a long period of peace and prosperity in which the seed of Christendom was planted. In this course, we focus on Rome in three stages, the telling of the rise of Rome as a Republic, the Imperial period which saw so much growth, and then finally a decline and collapse so shocking that St. Augustine himself felt he had to address Christendom’s fears. While Ancient Rome cannot be credit with supplying nearly so many building blocks to civilization as the Ancient Greeks, Rome represents the dramatic story of how Civilization came of age, ideologically, religiously, militarily, and philosophically. It is a story replete with ambitious conquests, political corruption, and human redemption. This course intends to provide an understanding of the Romans both as a historical narrative and also as an empire with lasting consequences.
Outline
Class 1: Introduction and overview of syllabus and assignments
Classes 2-6: The Republic
Class 2: Rome’s legendary beginnings: Wolves, Etruscans, and virtus
Class 3: The Conquest of Italy: The formation of the Roman identity
Class 4: The Growth of the Empire: The Punic Wars
Class 5: Victory Abroad, Discord at Home: The Golden Age of Roman Orators
Class 6: The End of the Republic: Caesar and the Civil Wars
Classes 7-10: The Imperial Age
Class 7: Peace Restored: The First Emperors
Class 8: The Flavians and “The Five Good Emperors”
Class 9: Historians and Poets: Livy, Tacitus, Virgil, Horace,
Class 10: Architects and Philosophers: Rome’s Enduring Legacy
Classes 11-14: Decline and Fall
Class 11: Crisis and Catastrophe: Commodus, and the Return of Civil Wars
Class 12: Reconstruction and Revival
Class 13: The Fall of the West
Class 14: Epilogue: Entryway into the Glory of Christendom
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: None required – all course materials are provided free by the instructor.
Homework: Writing is an integral part of demonstrating both the assimilation of knowledge, and the articulation thereof. Therefore, students will be guided through the process of writing a short (3-5 page, double-spaced) review of a book of their choice relevant to the subject matter.
NOTE: Middle School students taking this course may instead write a 1-2 page book report. Also, students will have one to two short (5-10 minute), ungraded review quizzes based off of classroom lectures and discussions.
