(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. 

(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: The beginnings of Rome - Archaic Rome beyond Mythology and through Archaeology

2nd day: The Etruscan Rise and Fall - Power Vacuum in Latium and Campania

3rd day: Battle of Lake Regillus - Conflicts and Shifting Alliances in Central Italy in the 5th and 4th c. BCE - War with the Veii  

4th day:  Sack of Rome by the Gauls - War with neighbouring people (e.g. Aequi, Volsci) - Lex Sextia/Licinia - Rome's stone wall (Servian Wall)

5th day: Leges Genuciae - Latin War (341-338 BCE) - First Samnitan War 

6th day: Second Samnite War (326-304 BCE) - Lex Ogulnia (ca. 300 BCE) - Third Samnite War (299 - 290 BCE)

7th day: Rome and the Greek World of South Italy - War Against king Pyrrhos of Epirus - Conquest of Taras (272 BCE) - Conquest of Syracuse (264 BCE)

8th day: Carthage, Syracuse and Rome - First Punic War (264-241 BCE)

9th day: The Aftermath of the Punic War - Rome takes Corsica, Sardenia and Illyria (230s and 220s BCE) - the Great Gallic War (228-225 BCE) 

10th day: Second Punic War and the Great Clash with Hannibal of Carthage (218-201 BCE) 

11th Day: Overview to the Roman Republic - The Basic Constituents of the Roman Republic

12th day: First Macedonian War (215-205 BCE) - Second Macedonian War (200-197 BCE) - Antiochene War (192-188 BCE) 

13th day: Third Macedonian War (171-167 BCE) - Political and Economic Consequences of Roman Expansion - Northern Frontier: Gaul and Liguria - Spain becomes a Roman province 

14th day: Political and Economic Consequences of Roman Expansion - Third Punic War (149-146 BCE) - Fourth Macedonian War (150-148 BCE)  - Lusitanian Wars and Numantian War in Spain (until 133 BCE) - Expansion in South France 

15th and 16th days: First Slave Revolt in the 130s BCE - The Gracchi and their Political Environment (133-123 BCE) - the Rise of Populares
 
17th day: Jugurthine War (112-105 BCE) – Cimbrian Wars (113-101 BCE) - Rise of Gaius Marius (157-86 BC)

18th day: Second Slave Revolt in the 110s BCE - The Social War (91-88 BCE) - First Mithridatic War (89-85 BCE) 

19th day: The Dominion of Marius and Cinna - Civil War between Sulla and Marius' supporters - Sulla as Dictator (81-79 BE)

A Second Part of this Series of Roman History Classes is offered on the period from the dominance of Julius Caesar to the sole rule of the first emperor, Octavian Augustus.