Classics 330/HSTAM330: The Age of Augustus

Suggested topics for Paper #1 (due Jan. 31) are posted HERE.

Goals: One of the aims of this class is to recreate, insofar as possible, what it must have been like to live in Augustan Rome. The two writing assignments are meant to play an integral role in achieving this goal. They are designed to encourage you to write about the various events we will be studying from the perspective of the people involved in or affected by them -- in short, to assume in each paper the persona or character of someone who lived during this period. These are therefore not research assignments in the traditional sense. But I expect and will require that you incorporate into your compositions the sort of information gleaned from the readings (many of which will provide models for your compositions), minimize anachronisms, and in general make an effort to achieve a degree of verisimilitude -- that is, make it believable.

Length and submission: Papers should be typed, double-spaced, and roughly 3-5 pages in length (no less than that, please). Please submit your papers through CANVAS as a FILE UPLOAD; and please do not email me your papers.

Grading: Papers will be evaluated in two areas (you'll get two separate grades, and the final grade for the paper will be the average of the two):

1) Content. While most of the topics invite you to fictionalize, your paper should demonstrate familiarity with relevant reading -- where appropriate, that is, try to work in details that you have noticed in your reading and pertain to the topic at hand. You are encouraged to be imaginative, but at the same time your paper should be grounded in a certain amount of factual material or historical detail (if you're worried I won't recognize the sources of this material or detail, you may indicate in footnotes particular passages or page numbers in, e.g., Jones or C&F -- but this is not required). Above all, try to abandon your 21st century perspective! In evaluating this area I will consider the following three points:

a) Does the paper have a clearly defined focus or center, and to what extent do the details you include relate to that center?

b) How well have you conceptualized the particular topic you wish to address -- that is, do you have a clear idea of how best to present your ideas?

c) To what extent is the paper grounded in relevant, specific details or ideas found in the reading? The amount you include will of course vary from paper to paper, depending on the topic you choose, but every topic presents some opportunity to work in material from the reading. Again, you do not have to document this, but you may if you wish through footnotes in which you specify passages or page numbers.

As you prepare to write the paper, then, you should consider those three points. Choose the topic, review the readings and make note of relevant details, decide in advance how and what you want to write -- then begin writing.

2) Presentation. Since any paper is a representation of its author, and since you presumably want to represent yourself to the best of your ability, it is expected that you will make every effort to write as well as you can -- to be attentive, that is, to grammar, organization, etc. Since revisions are not required, it is expected that you will incorporate any suggestions for improvement into the next -- theoretically, then, in this area at least your last paper should be your best paper.