Roman History 101: From The Origins To The Rise Of Augustus

From Republic to Empire: Charting Rome's epic conquest, civil wars, and the rise of Caesar and Augustus.

What you'll learn

1. Understanding historical dynamics: political, social, and economic.

2. Analyze key figures and events.

3. Exploring the cultural and material legacy

4. Develop critical skills in source analysis.

5. Become an expert in Roman history.

Requirements

No prior knowledge of Roman history is required.

Description

Welcome to Roman History 101! This course is offered by DOC - Deep Online Courses, a platform specializing in in-depth courses on hundreds of topics of interest. This course contains the use of artificial intelligence, and is designed to offer a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the fascinating history of ancient Rome. We will explore Rome's rise from a small village to a dominant power in the Mediterranean and beyond, through its transformation and the rise of Augustus. We will begin our journey from a small, almost insignificant, settlement of huts on the banks of the Tiber River, a place shrouded in the mists of legend, with the stories of Romulus, Remus, and the Rape of the Sabine Women.From this humble beginning, we will follow Rome's incredible rise step by step. We will witness its transformation into a tenacious and combative Republic, a city-state that, with unparalleled determination, would come to dominate the entire Italian peninsula. Together, we will analyze how this republic, forged in conflict and governed by a proud aristocracy, the Senate, then turned its gaze beyond its borders, towards the Mediterranean.We will explore epic struggles for supremacy, such as the Punic Wars against its great rival, Carthage, conflicts that defined the fate of the ancient world. We will see the Roman legions, one of the most formidable military machines in history, march across deserts, forests, and mountains, pushing the boundaries of their dominion from foggy Britain to the sands of Mesopotamia. But our study will not be limited to military conquests. We will delve into the beating heart of Roman political life, analyzing the tensions and crises that led to the collapse of the Republic. We will examine the careers of historical giants such as Gaius Marius, Sulla, Pompey, and, of course, Gaius Julius Caesar, whose rise and fall represent one of the most compelling dramas in human history.We will then witness the birth of a new form of government, the Principate, cleverly disguised by Augustus, the first emperor. Under his leadership and that of his successors, Rome will experience its golden age, the Pax Romana .We will analyze key events, key figures, political and social structures, culture, technology, and Rome's lasting legacy on the modern world. No prior knowledge of Roman history is required.This course is ideal for anyone interested in ancient history, students beginning their classical studies, history buffs, or anyone wishing to understand the roots of Western civilization and Rome's impact on global history.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction to the Course and Objectives

Lecture 1 Introduction to the Course

Lecture 2 Course Objectives

Lecture 3 Course Structure

Lecture 4 Sources and Tools

Lecture 5 The Importance of Roman History Today

Section 2: Geography of Italy and the Mediterranean

Lecture 6 Ancient Italy

Lecture 7 The Regions of Italy

Lecture 8 The Mediterranean Context

Lecture 9 The Influence of the Territory

Section 3: Pre-Roman Peoples (Etruscans, Greeks, Latins)

Lecture 10 The Etruscans

Lecture 11 The Greeks

Lecture 12 The Latins

Lecture 13 Interaction Between Cultures

Section 4: Foundation Myths: Aeneas, Romulus, and Remus

Lecture 14 The Myth of Aeneas

Lecture 15 The Myth of Romulus and Remus

Lecture 16 Interpretations and Meanings

Lecture 17 Historical Truth and Legend

Section 5: The Monarchic Period (753-509 BC): Fact and Legend

Lecture 18 The Seven Kings of Rome

Lecture 19 Society and Politics

Lecture 20 Territorial Expansion

Lecture 21 The End of the Monarchy

Section 6: The Expulsion of the Kings and the Birth of the Republic

Lecture 22 The Legend of Lucretia and the Revolt

Lecture 23 The Dawn of the Republic: The First Consuls and Brutus' Oath

Lecture 24 Historical Reality vs. Traditional Narrative: A Gradual Process?

Lecture 25 The First Challenges of the Republic: Porsenna and Lake Regillus

Section 7: Republican Institutions: Senate, Consuls, Assemblies

Lecture 26 The Consuls: The Power of the Imperium and Its Limits

Lecture 27 The Senate: Heart of the State and Guardian of Authority

Lecture 28 The Voice of the People: Centuriate Comitia and Tribute Comitia

Lecture 29 The Other Magistracies and the Cursus Honorum

Lecture 30 Dictatorship: An Emergency Remedy for the Republic

Section 8: The Conflict between Patricians and Plebeians

Lecture 31 The Origin of the Conflict: Debt, Land and Power

Lecture 32 The First Secession and the Tribunes of the Plebs

Lecture 33 The Struggle for the Law: The Laws of the Twelve Tables

Lecture 34 The Long March towards Equality

Section 9: The Social and Military Organization of the First Republic

Lecture 35 The Citizen-Soldier and the Family

Lecture 36 Public Religion and the Pax Deorum

Lecture 37 The Army Manipule in Action

Lecture 38 A Subsistence Economy

Section 10: The Gradual Conquest of the Italian Peninsula

Lecture 39 Masters in Our House: The Subjugation of Lazio and the Fall of Veii

Lecture 40 The Challenge of the Samnites

Lecture 41 The Samnite Wars (343-290 BC): Rome Learns to Fight

Lecture 42 The Intervention in Magna Graecia: the War against Pyrrhus

Lecture 43 The "Pyrrhic Victories" and the Conquest of the South

Section 11: Rome vs. Carthage: Context and Causes of the Punic Wars

Lecture 44 Carthage: A Commercial Empire on the Sea

Lecture 45 Two Powers Face Off: The Spheres of Influence

Lecture 46 The Casus Belli : the Mamertine Crisis in Messina

Lecture 47 The Root Causes: An Inevitable Conflict?

Section 12: First and Second Punic Wars

Lecture 48 The First Punic War (264-241 BC): Rome Becomes a Naval Power

Lecture 49 Hannibal Barca: The Oath and the Plan of Revenge

Lecture 50 The Second Punic War (218-201 BC): the Epic of Hannibal

Lecture 51 Scipio Africanus: the Victory of Zama

Section 13: The Third Punic War and the Fall of Carthage

Lecture 52 Carthage Humiliated and Cato's Obsession

Lecture 53 The Third Punic War (149-146 BC): the Final Siege

Lecture 54 146 BC: The Destruction of Carthage and Corinth

Lecture 55 Rome, Master of the Mediterranean: Consequences of Victory

Section 14: Chapter 4, Lesson 1: Social and Economic Impact of Conquests

Lecture 56 The Influx of Wealth and the New Social Classes

Lecture 57 The Rise of the Large Estates and Capitalist Agriculture

Lecture 58 Large-Scale Slavery: The Engine of the Economy

Lecture 59 The Smallholder Crisis and Urbanization

Section 15: The Gracchi Reforms and Political Violence

Lecture 60 Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus: Aristocrats on the Side of the People

Lecture 61 The Agrarian Reform of Tiberius Gracchus (133 BC)

Lecture 62 The Breakdown of Tradition: The Constitutional Crisis

Lecture 63 The Assassination of Tiberius: Violence Enters the Forum

Lecture 64 The Program of Gaius Gracchus: Wider Reforms and the End

Section 16: Marius and Sulla: The First Civil War

Lecture 65 Gaius Marius: a Homo Novus and the Recruitment Crisis

Lecture 66 The Army Reform: From Citizen-Soldier to Professional Soldier

Lecture 67 Lucius Cornelius Sulla: the Champion of the Optimates

Lecture 68 The First Civil War: Sulla's March on Rome

Lecture 69 The Dictatorship of Sulla and the Proscriptions

Section 17: The Rise of the "Warlords"

Lecture 70 The World after Sulla: The Republic of Strong Men

Lecture 71 The Dissident Warlord: Quintus Sertorius in Spain

Lecture 72 The Servile Crisis and the Rise of Marcus Licinius Crassus

Lecture 73 The Consulate of Pompey and Crassus (70 BC): the End of the Sullan Reforms

Section 18: The Catiline Conspiracy and the Crisis of the Republic

Lecture 74 The Context of the Crisis and the Figure of Catiline

Lecture 75 Marcus Tullius Cicero: Life and Works of a New Man

Lecture 76 The Conspiracy and the Catilinarian Orations

Lecture 77 The Senate Debate: Caesar and Cato Face Off

Lecture 78 The Epilogue and the Consequences

Section 19: The First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar

Lecture 79 The Blocked Republic (62-60 BC)

Lecture 80 The Birth of the First Triumvirate (60 BC): a "Three-Headed Monster"

Lecture 81 The Consulate of Caesar (59 BC): the Will of the Triumvirs becomes Law

Lecture 82 The Division of Power: Caesar's Proconsulship in Gaul

Section 20: Caesar's Conquest of Gaul

Lecture 83 Gaul before Caesar: A Mosaic of Tribes

Lecture 84 The Great Campaigns (58-55 BC)

Lecture 85 The Great Gallic Revolt and the Siege of Alesia (52 BC)

Lecture 86 The Consequences of the Conquest

Lecture 87 The Gallic War : The War Told by the Victor

Section 21: The Second Civil War between Caesar and Pompey

Lecture 88 The Disintegration of the Triumvirate

Lecture 89 The Political Crisis: the Senate against Caesar

Lecture 90 The Crossing of the Rubicon (49 BC): " Alea Iacta Est "

Lecture 91 The Civil War: Pharsalus and the End of Pompey

Section 22: Caesar's Dictatorship: Reforms and Death (Ides of March)

Lecture 92 Caesar's Dictatorship: An Unprecedented Power

Lecture 93 Caesar's Reforms: Reorganizing the Roman State

Lecture 94 The Conspiracy: "I Love Caesar, But I Love Rome More"

Lecture 95 The Ides of March (44 BC): The Assassination in the Senate

Lecture 96 Caesar's Legacy: The End of the Republic and the Rise of Octavian

Section 23: From Civil War to the Single Power

Lecture 97 The World after the Ides of March: The Rise of Antony and Octavian

Lecture 98 The Second Triumvirate: An Alliance for Revenge

Lecture 99 The Battle of Philippi (42 BC) and the end of the 'Liberators'

Lecture 100 The Division of the World and the Rivalry between Antony and Octavian

Lecture 101 The Battle of Actium (31 BC) and the Final Victory of Octavian

Section 24: The Principate: Octavian Becomes Augustus

Lecture 102 The Problem of Power: How to Govern Without Being a King?

Lecture 103 The "First Restoration" (27 BC): the Birth of the Principate

Lecture 104 The Legal Bases of Power: Imperium and Potestas

Lecture 105 The "Second Restoration" (23 BC) and the Consolidation of Power

Section 25: The Organization of the Empire

Lecture 106 The Army: From Instrument of Civil War to Guarantor of Peace

Lecture 107 The Administration of the Provinces: Senatorial and Imperial

Lecture 108 Rome and Italy: Urban Planning, Security and Administration

Lecture 109 Social and Moral Reforms: Restoring the Mos Maiorum

Section 26: The Pax Romana: Culture and Propaganda in the Augustan Age

Lecture 110 The Pax Romana : Internal Peace, Border Wars

Lecture 111 Virgil and the Aeneid: the Creation of the National Epic

Lecture 112 Horace, Livy and the Celebration of Roman Values

Lecture 113 Art and Architecture as Propaganda

Section 27: Course Conclusion

Lecture 114 Conclusion to Roman History 101: From Origins to Augustus

This course is ideal for anyone interested in ancient history, students beginning their classical studies, history buffs, or anyone wishing to understand the roots of Western civilization and Rome's impact on global history.