Classics Department
Skidmore College



Kendra Eshleman
Ladd 209, x5462

CC 265: ROMAN RELIGIONS



TIMETABLE

Click on a date to open a new window showing the essay topic(s) for that day.


September

Date Topic Primary Reading Secondary Reading
W 9/6 Introduction none none
F 9/8 The character of Roman religion Warrior 1.1-9, 12, 19-38
RoR II.13.3		 Scheid, pp. 1-8, 18-29
RoR I.ix-xiii
M 9/12 Gods & Goddesses at Rome I Warrior 8.3
RoR II.2.1d-3, 7; 10.2c		 RoR I.30-41
Optional: Warrior, pp. 187-8 (list of major Roman divinities)
W 9/14 Gods & Goddesses at Rome II RoR II.2.1a-c, 4-6, 9-10a; 9.5d Scheid, pp. 147-59, 165-70
F 9/16 Religion in early Rome Warrior, ch. 2 (skip 2.5)
RoR II.1.1-3, 5, 7-9		 RoR I.1-18, 54-61
Opt.: Scheid, pp. 9-17
M 9/19 Continuity & change I: the Republic (5th-2nd c. BCE) Warrior 8.4-5, 9-14
RoR I.1.4a, 6; 5.5d		 RoR I.61-92, 108-13
Scheid, pp. 193-201 (useful historical chart; consult as needed)
W 9/21 Priests Warrior 5.3, 5, 7, 11, 13-5
RoR I.5.4; 8.1, 2d, 4 		Scheid, pp. 129-37
RoR I.18-30, 99-108, 192-6
Opt.: Scheid, pp. 137-45
F 9/23 Ritual space RoR II.4.1, 4-8, 14-5; 10.2b-c Scheid, ch. 5
M 9/26 Ritual time I: the Calendar RoR II.3.1-7 Scheid, ch. 4
W 9/28 Ritual time II: Festivals RoR II.5.1-3, 7a
Warrior 6.10-11 		RoR I.42-54
F 9/30 Ritual action: Sacrifice RoR I.5.5a-c; 6.1-2, 5-7 Scheid, ch. 6

October

Date Topic Primary Reading Secondary Reading
M 10/3 Communicating with the divine I: Divination Warrior 1.13-6
RoR II.7.2-5 		Scheid, pp. 111-24
W 10/5 Communicating with the divine II: Prophets, astrology, dreams Warrior 12.23-32
RoR II.7.6-9 		Scheid, pp. 124-6
RoR I.231-3
F 10/7 Religion in the home Warrior 3.1-4, 11-7, 22-31
RoR II.4.12-3; 6.3-4; 9.5a-c 		Scheid, pp. 145-6
M 10/10 Historical interlude: the late Republic none RoR I.114-25
L.R. Taylor. 1949. "Manipulating the State Religion," from Party Politics in the Age of Caesar, pp. 76-97 (reserve)
Scheid, pp. 200-3 (consult as needed)
W 10/12 Religion & politics in the late Republic RoR II.8.2a-c RoR I.125-49
F 10/14 Did the Romans believe in their religion? RoR II.13.1-6
Warrior 2.5; 13.1-3, 8-12, 15-8, 22
Cicero, On the Nature of the Gods 1.1-2; 2.3-5, 29-31, 67; 3.2-7a, 15b-20 (handout) 		RoR I.149-54
Scheid, pp. 173-86
M 10/17 Religion & myth RoR II.13.9
Ovid, Fasti 1.461-586, 2.523-710
Horace, Odes 1.12 (handout) 		RoR I.171-4
D. Feeney. 1998. "Myth," from Literature and Religion at Rome, pp. 47-67 (reserve).
W 10/19 Continuity & change II: Augustus RoR II.4.2-3; 5.7b Augustus, Acheivements 7-13, 19-24 Suetonius, Life of Augustus 29-31 RoR I.167-71, 181-92, 196-210
F 10/21 STUDY DAY: NO CLASS
M 10/24 MIDTERM
W 10/26 Historical interlude: the Empire RoR II.8.5c; 10.2a-4 RoR I.249-60, 313-39 (skip discussion of Magna Mater, pp. 337-8)
Scheid, pp. 203-10 (consult as needed)
F 10/28 Imperial cult I: How the Roman emperors became gods Warrior 11.5, 7-10, 18-22
RoR II.2.8; 9.1-4a
The Deification of Augustus (Dio 51.46, = Lewis & Reinhold II.78-9) (handout) 		A.D. Nock. 1934. "The Institution of Ruler-Worship," Cambridge Ancient History X, pp. 481-9 (handout)
M 10/31 Imperial cult II: Worshipping the emperor RoR II.8.6; 10.5-6
Honors for Augustus in the provinces & at Rome (L&R II.62-5) (handout) 		RoR I.156-60, 348-63

November

Date Topic Primary Reading Secondary Reading
W 11/2 Magic I: Defining the limits of the acceptable Warrior 12.1-9
RoR II.11.2-4 		RoR I.153-6, 214-25, 231-6 R. Gordon. 1987. "Aelian's Peony: The Location of Magic in the Graeco-Roman Tradition." Comparative Criticism 9: 59-95 (pp. 84-95 optional) (reserve)
F 11/4 Magic II: Practice Warrior 12.10-22
RoR II.11.5-7 		Browse the excellent University of Michigan Traditions of Magic exhibit; bring your favorite piece to class.
W 11/7 "New" religions at Rome: introduction RoR 11.9-10; 12.2-3 RoR I.245-9, 260-78
W 11/9 The Bacchanalia scandal Livy 39.8-18 (handout)
RoR II.12.1b-c 		RoR I.91-6, 160-4
F 11/11 Cybele RoR II.2.7; 5.6a-b; 8.7
Catullus 63; Ovid, Fasti 4.179-372 (handout) 		Scheid, pp. 143-4
RoR I.96-8, 164-6, 337-8
M 11/14 Isis RoR II.5.6c-d; 8.8; 12.1 RoR I.264-6 (review), 278-91
W 11/16 Mithras RoR II.4.6; 12.5 RoR I.291-312
F 11/18 Jews in the Roman world Warrior ch. 14
RoR II.4.14; 7.5b; 11.8b; 12.6 		S.D. Cohen. 1999. The Beginnings of Jewishness, ch. 2, "'Those Who Say They Are Jews and Are Not': How Do You Know a Jew in Antiquity When You See One?"
M 11/21 Christians in the Roman world Warrior 15.1, 3, 10-17
RoR II.2.10b-c; 4.15; 7.6b; 9.4; 11.11.c-d; 12.7a-e; 13.6 		RoR I. 211-4, 225-31; 267-71 (review)
W 11/23 THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS
F 11/25
M 11/28 Christianity & the mysteries Excerpts from Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Firmicus Maternus, Augustine (pdf, Word)
Review: RoR II.5.6c-d; 6.7; 8.7-8; 12.4b, 5d-f, 7a(i) 		Scheid, pp. 186-8
J.Z. Smith. 1990. "On Comparison," from Drudgery Divine, reprinted in Ando, pp. 23-38. (reserve)
W 11/30 Religious choice and the limits of toleration Warrior 9.1-7 (review), 15.10-20
RoR II.11.11a-b, 12; 12.7f 		RoR I.236-44

December

Date Topic Primary Reading Secondary Reading
F 12/2 Continuity & Change III: Constantine, Vision & Victory Warrior 15.22-3
RoR II.11.1
The Constantine dossier, pt. A (pdf, Word)
Eusebius, Life of Constantine 1.12-41.2 (handout) 		RoR I.364-9
Scheid, pp. 210-12 (consult on historical background as needed)
M 12/5 Continuity & Change III cont.: The Christian Emperor? The Constantine dossier, pts. B-C (pdf, Word)
Eusebius, Life of Constantine 2.44-79, 3.25-47, 3.54-8, 4.8-25, 4.52-75 (handout)
RoR II.8.10b 		RoR I.369-75
W 12/7 Christianity after Constantine Selections from M. Maas, Readings in Late Antiquity (pdf, Word) RoR I.375-80
F 12/9 Traditional religion after Constantine Warrior 15.24-7
RoR II.11.14
Selections from M. Maas, Readings in Late Antiquity (pdf, Word) 		RoR I.381-8
M 12/12 Wrap-up none none
Th 12/22
6-9PM		 FINAL EXAM, 282 BOLTON