Due: Sunday, April 28th by 11:59pm
For this final project, you will build on the skills you have developed in the annotation assignments and the Evidence Labs to delve further into an aspect of Roman culture that we have addressed in lectures. You will choose one of the following prompts and either write a 5-7 page paper (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, standard font) using all of the evidence required and addressing all of the questions outlined. The goals of this project are as follows:
To gain and demonstrate your knowledge of Roman culture.
To develop your ability to construct theories and arguments from relevant evidence.
To practice grappling with tensions within and disagreements between evidence.
To strengthen your close and analytical reading skills and your ability to interpret and analyze physical and artistic evidence.
To articulate those interpretations, analyses, and theories effectively.
For each prompt, you must use the following amount and type of primary (ancient) evidence:
3 pieces of literary evidence (NB: Each piece should be from a different literary work)
3 pieces of artistic or material evidence
1 piece of architectural evidence
****I will cultivate a list of possible evidence that you could use for each of the posts below. You do not have to use that evidence, if you find other evidence. The evidence lists will be a resource that you may use if you choose. This list will also include citation guides for the literary evidence listed.****
Prompt 1: A day in the life of a Roman
For this prompt, you will choose one role that a Roman might have: consul, Vestal Virgin, general, matrona, soldier, or farmer (you may choose a different role with approval from the instructional team). You will then use the requisite evidence to describe what a typical day would be for that person, focusing on the following questions:
What sorts of activities would this person do regularly?
Where would they spend their time?
With whom would they interact?
What sorts of expectations were there for their behaviors? Were there specific norms or ideologies associated with this role? Did those play out in reality?
Do these components of this role effect modern versions of similar roles?
Prompt 2: Your favorite abstract concept
We have addressed many abstract concepts that were significant in ancient Rome: libertas (freedom), virtus (excellence/courage), pudicitia (chastity), pietas (duty/piety), moderatio (moderation), patientia (endurance); you may choose a different concept with approval from the instructional team). For this prompt, choose one of these and outline what that concept is and why it was significant for Roman culture. Then consider the various representations, focusing on the following questions:
How do these sources describe or portray this concept?
Are there similarities? Differences? How do you account for these?
What are the motivations for portraying this concept?
How do these representations effect modern versions of the concept?
NB: You MAY NOT write about the same concept you choose for your first evidence lab.
Prompt 3: Plan a Roman event
For this prompt, you will choose one of the major Roman spectacles or events we have discussed (Lupercalia, Saturnalia, gladiatorial game, banquet, triumph; you may choose a different event with approval from the instructional team). You will then describe:
What are the conventions/template for the event?
What preparations would you need to make?
Who will attend?
Where will it be staged?
Who will “perform”/be at the center of attention?
Why would one put on such an event?
What would the attendee’s experience be?
Do modern spectacles or events still employ any of these methods?
Format: Your papers should be typed, double-spaced, have 1-inch margins, and be in 12-point font (using a standard font, such as Times New Roman). You should submit your paper by uploading it to Canvas as a Word doc or PDF.
You are welcome to use other primary or secondary evidence in your paper, but make sure you are citing ALL your evidence.
Papers and slides should use in-text citations for ancient texts. For example:
Citing poetry such as the Aeneid: Use book and line numbers. (Ex. The Aeneid begins “Arms and a man I sing….” (Vergil, Aeneid 1.1).
Citing prose such as Tacitus: Use the paragraph number, which you can find at the beginning of the paragraph will suffice (Ex. Calcagus claims his people had lived in the “upmost…freedom” (Tacitus, Agricola, 30).
Coins can be cited by using the “source” or “references” entry in the American Numismatic Society listing (in the example below, RRC 428/1):
Artwork should be referenced with the piece’s name (date and artist if possible – but this is not often available for ancient art; – and current museum location; ex. Augustus of Prima Porta, ca. 1st cent. CE, Vatican Museums).
Building or other architectural structures can also be referenced with the structure’s name and place (ex. Maison Carée in Nîmes, Arch of Titus in Rome).
For secondary scholarship or other notes, you should use footnotes in a standard citation style, such as ChicagoLinks to an external site..
For example: Exempla were used frequently in Rome to reproduce ideologies.[1]
[1] Matthew Roller, “Exemplarity in Roman Culture,” Classical Philology 99.1 (2004): 6.
You may also include a short work cited list at the end of your paper for all secondary sources.
We will grade these assignments based on the following rubric:
Response to prompt (10): To receive full credit for this section, you must directly address the prompt you choose and stay on topic throughout the essay.
Use of and engagement with evidence and sources (40): This essay should focus on analysis of primary evidence. Be careful not to re-narrated the evidence alone. You can use lecture material and modern scholarship (either the readings we have done in class or outside research) as sources; however you must include all primary evidence listed in your essay to support your statements. If you chose to do outside research, be critical of your sources, particularly those you find online.
Analysis and interpretation (40): This essay should go beyond reporting pertinent facts or describing evidence. You should analyze and interpret your evidence, drawing substantiated conclusions about Roman culture and society. You should build a persuasive argument or analysis demonstrating careful and critical thought. Avoid generalizations or assumptions (such as “All Romans believe…”). First person emotive statements (“I feel…”, “I believe…”) should be minimized, in favor of statements that draw upon specific evidence for your conclusions (“Evidence X shows us Y because Z”).
Organization and clarity of writing/presentation (10): Your essay should have few major grammatical and spelling errors (minor errors are fine). It should also be easy to follow and understand your analyses and arguments. You should include an introduction that clearly states the main topic and an overview of your paper/presentation. Your concluding remarks should synthesize the evidence and arguments that you have presented and suggest broader insights (rather than simply summarizing the essay).
Here is a great resource for grammar and syntax guidance: https://uwc.utexas.edu/services/resources/
