Handbook

From humble beginnings, the Romans built an empire that was the most enduring the world has ever seen.  Their citizen farmers and part-time warriors transformed into a professional full-time army as they conquered first Italy and then the entire Mediterranean.  Along the way they experienced rule by monarchy, then republican government with strong citizen participation, and eventually, from the time of Augustus, emperors.  Under Constantine, they converted from their ancestral polytheistic religion to Christianity.

This unit of study will survey a period of c. 1,300 years from the kings c. 753 BC right through to the time of Emperor Justinian ruling the remnants of empire from Constantinople in AD 565.  It will introduce you to the study of ancient Roman history, literature, and culture, and provides a grounding for further studies in history and literature.

A cross-disciplinary approach will be employed that incorporates historical and literary perspectives to provide an holistic view of the ancient Roman world.