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From Roman Republic to Rome's Empire: Octavian Augustus (31 BCE-14 CE)

In this 19-week class the students will delve into the lives and deeds of Octavian Augustus and Tiberius as the first two Roman emperors, as well as the material culture, artistic expression and social/religious beliefs of their time
Spyridon (Spiros) Loumakis
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(776)
Class

What's included

19 live meetings
19 in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Homework, designed to take no more than an hour in total per week, will be assigned in three forms: (a) Before some of the sixteen meetings students will be asked to study a Source Sheet which will contain primary sources from ancient Roman authors in English translation, related to each class, and able to stir up class discussion. This source sheet will be distributed in advance as part of class preparation (each Source Sheet will be uploaded a few days in advance). (b) Two optional quizzes: a quiz based on Augustus (days 1 to 12) and a final quiz based on Tiberius (days 13 to 16). (c) An optional essay on a topic to be arranged.
Assessment
I do not believe that a letter grade is meaningful for an on-going class on ancient history at OutSchool. However, as I often do with my one-time classes, which are always small classes (up to 7 students), I communicate with the parents and the children directly, providing my personal comments, private feedback and an informal assessment.
Grading
included

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
(A) Required Experience: 

This is a mutli-day class addressed to students who already have a background on ancient civilizations, and a special interest in the Roman History. 
N.B.: The students do not necessarily need to take first "Roman Republican History" or "Late Roman Republic" (offered also as multi-day courses) in order to sign up for this class. The material of "Early Imperial Rome" is based on the works and days of the Julio-Claudian emperors. So, anyone interested in learning about the first dynasty of Roman emperors is welcomed in the classroom. 

(B) Teaching style and students interaction:

The learning process of this class is based on a combination of a power-point presentation, a lecture that asks students to participate, class dialogue, questions based on the ongoing lecture, and new ideas based on the participants. There is not one universal solution to teach. Rather I combine techniques to achieve the maximum of my strengths and of my students. Having taught so far young kids, teenagers, University students and mature learners, I know that teachers need to approach students with understanding. After all, such a small class has the advantage of making the combined technique of ppt presentation-lecture-dialogue feasible and efficient. Thanks to Zoom, engaging students and interacting with them is always possible. 

(C) Topics to be covered, and class structure: 

1st day: Octavian as Restorer of Order / Apollo the Healer and Octavian the Healer / Octavian's House on the Palatine Hill (the first "palace")

2nd day: Augustus Contested (Crassus - Taurus - Gallus - Plancus - Sosianus - Balbus)

3th day: First Constitutional Settlement (27 CE) - Octavian becomes Augustus / Second Constitutional Settlement (23 CE) - Octavian Augustus becomes Princeps / Augustus is awarded the Corona Civica

4th day: Augustus honors Deified Julius Caesar (Temples - Monuments - Coins - Festivals)

5th day: Military Reforms - Bellona and Mars ultor - Relations with Parthia 

6th day: Restoring the "Good Old Days" - Moral Legislation - Marriage Scandals - Livia his New Wife

7th day: Ludi Saeculares - Religious Reforms - Augustus as Pontifex Maximus - Theatre of Marcellus 

8th day: Augustus as Pater Patriae (2 BCE) - Rome as the Center of the World - Th Altar of Augustan Piece (Ara Pacis)

9th day: Literary Circle of Maecenas (Virigl - Livy - Ovid) - Augustus as Controler of Myth and History

10th day: Octavia - Marcellus - Agrippa 

11th day: Drusus the Elder and Tiberius under Augustus - Tiberius in Self-Exile

12th day: Julia - Caius and Lucius Caesar - Agrippa Postumus - Return of Tiberius

13th day: Augiustan italy and Roman Acculturation

14th day: Augustan Gaul

15th day: Augustan Spain and North Africa

16th day: Augustus in the East

17th day: Temples of Augustus in the East

18th day: From Augustus to Tiberius - Mausoleum of Augustus - Augustus' Death, Funeral
and Will 

19th day: Res Gestae divi Augusti (the self-praising auto-biography of Augustus)

A Fourth Part of this series of Multi-Day Roman History Classes is offered focused on the Julio-Claudian Dynasty from 14 to ca. 54 CE
Learning Goals
In this class students will be able to appreciate the beauty and importance of the study of history. Having studied myself history at a graduate and postgraduate level, and trained in archaeological excavations, ancient languages (Greek, Latin), and the use of various aspects of ancient material culture (art, architecture, coins etc), I want to bring this full picture to my classes. 

The students will discuss in class under my guidance about major Roman monuments, Roman art, the Roman gods, Roman society, and classical Latin texts in English translation, so as to understand Roman history in its entirety. The epistemological approach according to which History means facts based on reliable primary sources, remains still relevant for me, if not necessary today.
 
Ancient History means also appreciating ancient cultures, respecting them, learning from their mistakes, and admiring them for their accompishments. History can be also used as a point of reference or a measure of comparison between an ancient pre-modern society and our contemporary post-modern world. 

For students who are taking Roman History classes at their school, this class can be used as a supplementary class to refresh their memory, strengthen their knowledge, advance their understading and sharpen their critical thinking.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
In the ancient Roman art gods are sometimes depicted naked. This being said, any artistic reproduction in ancient art should be expected to show nude gods. I try to use as less as possible, but it is not always within my hands since this is the nature of the ancient Greek art itself. Since, it is an art that comes from an era where there were no photographs, or videos, the art is found only on painted vases, wall paintings and sculpture. Nudity was never meant to provoke, but to tell to the ancient viewer that gods are not mortal humans and, thus, they do not need clothes. As you may very well understand, I cannot change the history of art, nor my preference as teacher of mythology to show students the original art from ancient times.
Pre-Requisites
This class is the sequence of “Late Republican History: From Julius Caesar to Octavian Augustus (Ca. 78-31 BCE)”. Students are advised (but not obliged) to have taken this class in advance, unless they are already strong students of history
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined March, 2020
4.9
776reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have a B.A. and M.A. in Ancient Greek and Roman History and Archaeology, as well as an M.A. in History and Philosophy of Religions. I have excavated in ancient Greek sites, I speak Latin and ancient Greek and I am currently finishing my PhD. 

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$22

weekly or $418 for 19 classes
1x per week, 19 weeks
60 min

Completed by 17 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
3-7 learners per class

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