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CLASS 281 (Roman History) |
E-mail: Christopher.Mackay@ualberta.ca
Phone: 492-3344
Office: Tory 2-54
Office hours: MWF 1-2 or by appointment
Short Description
A survey of Roman history from the beginning of overseas expansion with the war with Carthage until the end of the Principate (the Early Empire). A major focus of the course will be the development of the political institutions by which the Romans conquered Mediterranean under the Republic, how the conquest led to the political breakdown of the Republican form of government, and how the imperial government that replaced the Republic managed to ensure long-term administrative continuity of a very large territory.
Objectives of Course
- Acquire familiarity with the events and concepts important for understanding Roman history.
- Demonstrate on exams the ability to absorb, assess and analyze the information presented in lectures and in the readings.
- Develop the skill of close reading of texts through the paper assignments.
Course books (available in the bookstore)
Christopher S. Mackay, Ancient Rome: A Military and Political HistoryRonald Mellor, The Historians of Ancient Rome, 2nd ed.
Class Procedure
For each day of lecture, the Reading Schedule gives a reading, usually from either the course book or the source book, but sometimes both. Students are expected to read this material in advance. Exams will cover all assigned readings and the discussions in class. Exam format:Format of the exams will be provided ahead of time.
Deferred final:
The sole date on which a deferred midterm may be taken is May 7, 2007 (time to be arranged).
Papers:
Papers will be discussed in class the day they are due. Without prior arrangement, NO paper may be turned in OUTSIDE of class, and NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Do not leave them until the last minute!
Grader's office hours
The grader for the papers is Ilaria Bottiloro. She will be available in her office (Tory 2-52) to speak to you about your papers on Tuesday 1-3 pm and Wednesday 2-4 pm. If these times are not manageable for you, you can contacted her by email (ilaria@ualberta.ca) to arrange a different time.
NB Students whose writing skills are not adequate for university-level work should seek help from the Effective Writing Resources program in the Academic Support Centre (SUB 2-703; 492-2682).
NB Students who require accommodation due to a disability involving mobility, vision, hearing, learning or mental or physical health should discuss their needs with Specialized Support and Disability Services (SUB 2-800; 492-3381 [phone]/492-7269 [TTY]).
Grading
The final grade will be given on the basis of the following assignments:- Two 1- to 2-page papers (each worth 15%). Due dates: January 24 and March 9. Papers are to be no more than two pages of double-spaced text and are to contain no more than 700 words. Topics will be made available via the webpage. The papers are meant to be an opportunity for you to engage directly with the thoughts of the ancient authors upon whom our knowledge of the ancient world rests. Accordingly, you should NOT do any outside readings to prepare for the papers (i.e., don't read anything apart from the assigned ancient text). Papers will be discussed in class the day they are due. Without prior arrangement NO paper may be turned in OUTSIDE of class, and NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Do not leave them until the last minute! each
- One midterm exam (30%). The midterm will consist of maps questions, multiple-choice questions (dealing with concepts, identification, placing items in the correct chronological order) and some short answers.
- One cumulative final (40%). The final exam will consist of two parts. First, a second midterm (i.e., the material treated in class since the midterm will be dealt with in the same format as the midterm). The second will be an essay/essays treating the whole course (questions will be provided before the final).
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 100-97 | A+ |
| 96-93 | A |
| 92-90 | A- |
| 89-87 | B+ |
| 86-83 | B |
| 82-80 | B- |
| 79-77 | C+ |
| 76-73 | C |
| 72-70 | C- |
| 69-64 | D+ |
| 63-55 | D |
| 54% or lower | F |
For details, see Code of Student Behavior 30.3.2(2)a-d.
The University has the following statement on how it handles instances of academic dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty
The two forms of academic dishonesty relevant to this course are plagiarism and cheating. Plagiarism is defined as "submit[ting] the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the student's own" (Code of Student Behaviour 30.3.2(1)). Cheating consists of a number of offenses, which can be summarized (for present purposes)
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. (U of A Calendar 23.4.2c)
Like the University, I have a zero-tolerance policy for both plagiarism and cheating. I will make every effort to seek the highest possible penalty against anyone caught committing these offenses or helping others to commit them. Ignorance of what constitutes academic offenses is not an acceptable defense. Refer to the Code of Student Behaviour in the Calendar (pages 652-675) for a full description of academic offenses and their possible penalties (excerpts are available online). If you have any questions, see me or refer to the University Secretariat.
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