Test Essay on Personal Responsibility
I. Review the following:
a. Mellor, Augustus and the Creation of the Roman Empire
b. Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, The Life of Julius Caesar
c. Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, The Life of Augustus
d. Augustus, Res Gestae
e. Augustus, Moral Legislation: Family Values, 18 B.C.
II. Discuss the transition from the Roman Republic from Julius Caesar to the rise of the principate under Augustus.
a. What accounts for the rise of Julius Caesar to become dictator of the Roman Republic?
b. What were the reasons for Julius Caesar's assassination on March 15, 44 B.C.?
i. What justifications did the assassins give for killing Caesar?
c. How was Augustus able to achieve what his adoptive father could not?
d. According to Augustus and the sources provided, how was a Roman supposed to lead a moral and ethical life?
e. Since the death of Augustus, historians have debated the character of Augustus, either as a statesman or a bloody-thirsty tyrant bent on absolute power. Based on the sources provided, where do you find yourself on this debate?
III. Your essay should be 3 - 6 pages in length, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font only.
IV. You must utilize AT LEAST five sources within your paper. You may use sources outside of the ones provided. HOWEVER, you must clear that source with me prior to writing your paper. With that being said, Wikipedia and the textbook CAN NOT be sources.