ROMAN EMPIRE: RULERS AND RULED TERM PAPERS
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR PAPERS:
Papers MUST have an argument and a thesis - these are college papers, not book reports
Papers should be between 5-8 pages
Papers should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt font
Papers MUST cite sources, either in footnotes, parenthetically, or for options 2 and 3, in the bibliography
Secondary (outside) research may be necessary for some topics - please see me for bibliography
I am more interested in YOUR ideas and thoughts than in a professional-level bibliography
That having been said, plagiarism will NOT BE TOLERATED. If you are AT ALL in doubt about this - PLEASE contact me.
TERM PAPER TOPICS:
1. Many of the rulers we have examined in this course follow set patterns of behavior, which we have discussed as "paradigms." Discuss how an emperor that we have not discussed in class followed either the "Augustan Paradigm" (as seen in the Res Gestae Divi Augusti) or the "Neronian Paradigm" (as seen in Suetonius' Nero). For possible emperors, there are several in Suetonius' Lives of the Twelve Caesars (Claudius, Vespasian, or Titus), or you can ask Prof. Waddell for other places to look.
2. Imagine that you are a Senator or high-ranking Equestrian living under the Roman Empire. You are writing to thank the Emperor for making you consul for the coming year, and would like to show your gratitude for all that the Emperor has done for you. Write a (relatively speaking) short panegyric (using Pliny's Panegyric to Trajan or Aelius Aristides' Relatio 26 as a model) listing the emperor's qualities, the reason's for his (and Rome's) greatness, and expressing your appreciation for his favor.
3. Imagine that you are a subject of the Roman Empire, living under ONE of the following conditions:
A. a wealthy merchant (of either gender) from Cyprus, in the Eastern Mediterranean, with extensive trade routes running from Italy to the East
B. a Gallic/Germanic/Britannic Chieftain (of either gender) whose people were recently conquered by the Roman army
C. a vilicus / vilica (overseer, of either gender) managing a large estate in your native country for a absentee Roman senatorial landowner, including managing household and agrarian slaves - this person was usually a slave or freedperson
D. a Senator from northern Spain, the first in your family to achieve Roman citizenship and membership in the Senate
E. a priestess of either Diana or Vesta at Rome, connected to a formerly powerful senatorial family
F. a Senator from Rome, the direct descendant of one of Aeneas' crew, now serving in a minor, but peaceful province as a quaestor
Explain why being a part of the Roman Empire of the 2nd century CE (roughly, the period of the "Five Good Emperors" discussed by Aelius Aristides) is either positive or negative, and why. Be sure to address how the Roman Empire has changed your standing (either for the better or the worse - this could also be the change from Republic to Empire), your opinions on the overall benefit/detriment to humanity,
and your reasoning behind this.
4. Topic of your choosing. You MUST clear any topics that you choose to write on with Prof. Waddell first.