CL 337 - The Multicultural Roman Empire

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: One HS100-level course. In conquering and attempting to unify lands as diverse as Egypt, Iran, Britain, and Algeria, the Romans undertook one of the greatest social and political experiments in the history of the world. They assimilated some of the peoples they conquered, but the vanquished, in turn, assimilated their Roman conquerors-it is no accident that one third century emperor was named Philip the Arab. This course examines the strategies by which the Romans attempted to hold together their vast, multicultural empire, and the strategies by which many of their subjects preserved and even promulgated their cultures. Be prepared for clash and compromise, oppression and respect, culture and race, and, of course, some very astonishing customs. Same course as HS 337 . II