Description
Book SynopsisProvides students with a balanced understanding of the key aspects of the culture and society of the Roman Republic A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome is the first undergraduate textbook of its kind to concentrate on the ways Roman societal structures, family dynamics, visual arts, law, religion, and other cultural and intellectual developments contributed to Roman identity between 509 BCE and 14 CE. Drawing from a diverse range of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, author Eric M. Orlin provides insight into the socio-cultural and intellectual issues that shaped both the Roman Republic and the wider Mediterranean world. Thematically organized chapters address the practice of politics in the Roman Republic, explain the concept of patronage and the distinctions between patricians and plebeians, examine the impact of the army and militarism on Roman society, discuss the ties between Roman religion and the Roman state, and more. Chapters include maps, charts
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viii
Timeline of Roman History x
Introduction: We Are All Historians 1
A Note on the Text 3
1 What Is Historical Thinking? 5
Literary Sources 9
Material Culture 15
Conclusion 22
Discussion Questions 23
2 How Do We Tell the Story? 25
An Outline History of the Roman Republic 28
Marking Time 41
Conclusion: Historical Narratives 43
Discussion Questions 45
3 The Building Blocks of Roman Society 47
Rome as a City-state 50
Rome as a Mediterranean Empire 61
Conclusion 65
Discussion Questions 65
4 The Practice of Politics 67
What Was the Roman Republic? 68
The Late Republic 79
Julius Caesar and the End of the Republic 84
Discussion Questions 85
5 The Roman Family 87
An Overview of the Roman Family 89
Changes in the Roman Family 98
Conclusion: Family Values 104
Discussion Questions 104
6 Gender and Sexuality 106
Sex and Gender 107
Sexuality 109
Gender Roles 117
Conclusions 122
Discussion Questions 123
7 Outsiders 125
Rome and Italy: The Early Republic 126
The Impact of Expansion 131
Conclusion 142
Discussion Questions 143
8 Religion 145
What Is Roman Religion? 146
Changes in Roman Religion 154
The Late Republic 161
Conclusion 162
Discussion Questions 163
9 Law 165
The Twelve Tables 166
The Effects of Expansion on Roman Law 173
The Late Republic 178
Conclusion 181
Discussion Questions 181
10 The Military 183
The Army in Early Rome 184
The Beginnings of an Imperial Army 195
Conclusion 199
Discussion Questions 200
11 The Economy 202
The Agricultural Basis of the Early Roman Economy 203
Changes in the Roman Economy 212
Conclusion 219
Discussion Questions 219
12 The City of Rome 221
The Beginnings of the City 222
Archaic Rome 224
The Late Republican Transformation 239
Conclusion 242
Discussion Questions 242
13 Roman Arts and Letters 244
The Early and Middle Republic 245
On the World Stage 250
Conclusion 259
Discussion Questions 262
Ancient Authors 264
Notable Figures from Roman History 266
Glossary 269
Index 273
