8: Introduction:

Oral and Written Traditions

10: Geography of Italy; Sources, Materials and Methods

READ: IM ch. 1, "The Land"; LR I, pp. 1-9, 37-49 (skim 10-37) and I.1
Guide to Readings

CHATROOM QUESTION, SEPT. 10:

HOW DID THE LANDSCAPE SHAPE THE EARLY CULTURES THAT INHABITED ITALY? WHAT IMPACT DID THE ENVIRONMENT HAVE UPON THESE PEOPLES?

12-15: The Peoples of Early Italy

READ: IM ch. 1; LR I.2
The Nature of Oral History
Archaeology and Prehistory

CHATROOM QUESTION

SEPT. 12: WHY MUST THE HISTORIAN EXAMINING A PRE-LITERATE SOCIETY EXERCISE CAUTION IN RECONSTRUCTING THE PAST? HOW DOES LITERARY EVIDENCE ALTER THE TASK OF THE HISTORIAN?

SEPT. 15: WHAT ARE THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE ETRUSCANS?

17-19: The Emergence of Rome

READ: IM ch. 2; Livy book 1, 2.1-2.2, 2.17-2.21; LR I.8-9, 11, 16-17
Terminology, Sept. 17th
Terminology, Sept. 19th-24th
Rome and the Latins, 493 B.C.

CHATROOM QUESTION:

SEPT. 17: HOW DO THE ROMANS DIFFER FROM THE ETRUSCANS? WHAT ELEMENTS OF ETRUSCAN LIFE DID THE ROMANS ADOPT? WHICH DID THEY REJECT? WHY?

SEPT. 19: WHAT ELEMENTS OF ROMAN LIFE WERE ORGANIZED AND REGIMENTED? HOW DID THESE MODES OF BEHAVIOR CONTRIBUTE TO, OR DETRACT FROM, THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY? OR THE INDIVIDUAL?

22-24: The Magistracies and Assemblies of Rome; the Struggles of the Orders

READ: LR I.24-42; Livy book 3, 5.32-end
Terminology, Sept. 22nd-24th

NOTE: ESSAY #1 (take-home) DUE SEPT. 29TH

CHATROOM QUESTION:

SEPT. 22: WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WERE AVAILABLE TO THE POLITICALLY-MINDED MEMBER OF ROMAN ARISTOCRACY? WHAT POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES WERE AVAILABLE TO THE REST OF ROMAN SOCIETY?

SEPT. 24: WHY WAS THERE TENSION BETWEEN THE VARIOUS SOCIAL GROUPS OF EARLY ROME? HOW MUCH OF THE DISPUTE WAS ECONOMIC, AND HOW MUCH WAS POLITICAL? CAN THEY BE SEPARATED?

26-29: The Ways of Rome

READ: IM ch. 3; LR I.46-56

CHATROOM QUESTION, SEPT. 26-29:

WHAT WERE THE ROLES OF RITUAL AND CULT IN ROMAN LIFE? WHAT ASPECTS OF ROMAN LIFE REMAINED SEPARATE FROM RELIGIOUS PRACTICES? WHY?