HIS 350L • Roman Army-W
It is widely believed that the Roman army in the first two centuries A.D. was one of the finest fighting forces ever created, even if it was used sometimes to make emperors instead of to beat back or to win victories over foreign enemies. The aim of this course is to study the army in detail, examining how it was made up, how it was trained, what were its strengths and what its weaknesses. Topics for discussion will include recruiting, training and discipline, prospects for promotion and the nature of the officer corps. Finally, we will examine in detail at least one set of campaigns covered by the Roman historian Tacitus in this time period.
First paper 20% Second paper 20% Third paper 45% Oral report & class participation 15%