First-Year Seminars 110RM - Power and Auth in Ancient Rome

Romans hated kings, and when they founded their;Republic they did so on principles of shared;governance and popular sovereignty in order to;prevent the rise of monarchy. Yet in times of;crisis Romans tolerated and even promoted leaders;with absolute power. How did this ideal of;popular sovereignty square with the need for;dictators? What happened when populism;confronted authoritarianism? How did Romans;represent power and authority--in literature,;ceremony, architecture, and art? This course will;consider these and other related questions;through the careers of Julius Caesar and;Augustus, who oversaw the transformation of Roman;political culture from Republic to monarchy.

First-year students only, by placement.