History of Rome from its Origins to Charlemagne

This course provides students with an introductory knowledge of the history of Rome and Italy from its origins through the ninth century CE. Students will engage in the political, social, religious, and cultural aspects of early Rome and track the shifts of power overtime. Emphasis will be given to Rome?s place in the cultural history of the Mediterranean, the spaces of political activity within the city, as well as the way in which emperors ruled. A selection of texts from ancient writers will illustrate daily life in the metropolis that ancient Rome grew to become at the beginning of the second century CE, until its eventual demise and the rise of new centers of power.