Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome

Provides students with a balanced understanding of the key aspects of the culture and society of the Roman RepublicA Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome is the first undergraduate textbook of its kind to concentrate on the ways Roman societal structures, family dynamics, visual arts, law, religion, and other cultural and intellectual developments contributed to Roman identity between 509 BCE and 14 CE. Drawing from a diverse range of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, author Eric M. Orlin provides insight into the socio-cultural and intellectual issues that shaped both the Roman Republic and the wider Mediterranean world.Thematically organized chapters address the practice of politics in the Roman Republic, explain the concept of patronage and the distinctions between patricians and plebeians, examine the impact of the army and militarism on Roman society, discuss the ties between Roman religion and the Roman state, and more. Chapters include maps, charts, images, and links to further readings in ancient sources and modern scholarship. Throughout the text, discussion of several recurring themes connects individual chapters while helping students critically engage the material. A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome:* Focuses on themes other than politics and the military, such as the position and role of women in the Roman family, the foundation of the Roman legal system, and the topography and growth of the city of Rome* Introduces the basic materials available for the study of the Roman Republic, including written, architectural, and numismatic sources* Features a brief narrative history of the Roman Republic and an overview of the text's methodological framework* Establishes key points of discussion for students, using comparisons between Roman society and our modern-day world* Encourages students to critically examine the problems and issues raised by the materialCovering topics in Roman history that are frequently neglected in undergraduate classrooms, A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome is an excellent primary or supplementary textbook for courses on the Roman Republic as well as broader Roman history classes that incorporate socio-cultural issues.

List of contents

Acknowledgments viiiTimeline of Roman History xIntroduction: We Are All Historians 1A Note on the Text 31 What Is Historical Thinking? 5Literary Sources 9Material Culture 15Conclusion 22Discussion Questions 232 How Do We Tell the Story? 25An Outline History of the Roman Republic 28Marking Time 41Conclusion: Historical Narratives 43Discussion Questions 453 The Building Blocks of Roman Society 47Rome as a City-state 50Rome as a Mediterranean Empire 61Conclusion 65Discussion Questions 654 The Practice of Politics 67What Was the Roman Republic? 68The Late Republic 79Julius Caesar and the End of the Republic 84Discussion Questions 855 The Roman Family 87An Overview of the Roman Family 89Changes in the Roman Family 98Conclusion: Family Values 104Discussion Questions 1046 Gender and Sexuality 106Sex and Gender 107Sexuality 109Gender Roles 117Conclusions 122Discussion Questions 1237 Outsiders 125Rome and Italy: The Early Republic 126The Impact of Expansion 131Conclusion 142Discussion Questions 1438 Religion 145What Is Roman Religion? 146Changes in Roman Religion 154The Late Republic 161Conclusion 162Discussion Questions 1639 Law 165The Twelve Tables 166The Effects of Expansion on Roman Law 173The Late Republic 178Conclusion 181Discussion Questions 18110 The Military 183The Army in Early Rome 184The Beginnings of an Imperial Army 195Conclusion 199Discussion Questions 20011 The Economy 202The Agricultural Basis of the Early Roman Economy 203Changes in the Roman Economy 212Conclusion 219Discussion Questions 21912 The City of Rome 221The Beginnings of the City 222Archaic Rome 224The Late Republican Transformation 239Conclusion 242Discussion Questions 24213 Roman Arts and Letters 244The Early and Middle Republic 245On the World Stage 250Conclusion 259Discussion Questions 262Ancient Authors 264Notable Figures from Roman History 266Glossary 269Index 273

About the author

ERIC M. ORLIN is Professor of Greek, Latin and the Ancient Mediterranean at the University of Puget Sound, Washington, USA. He is the author of Temples, Religion and Politics in the Roman Republic, Foreign Cults in Rome: Creating a Roman Empire, and many scholarly articles on Roman religion and politics.

Summary

Provides students with a balanced understanding of the key aspects of the culture and society of the Roman Republic

A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome is the first undergraduate textbook of its kind to concentrate on the ways Roman societal structures, family dynamics, visual arts, law, religion, and other cultural and intellectual developments contributed to Roman identity between 509 BCE and 14 CE. Drawing from a diverse range of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, author Eric M. Orlin provides insight into the socio-cultural and intellectual issues that shaped both the Roman Republic and the wider Mediterranean world.

Thematically organized chapters address the practice of politics in the Roman Republic, explain the concept of patronage and the distinctions between patricians and plebeians, examine the impact of the army and militarism on Roman society, discuss the ties between Roman religion and the Roman state, and more. Chapters include maps, charts, images, and links to further readings in ancient sources and modern scholarship. Throughout the text, discussion of several recurring themes connects individual chapters while helping students critically engage the material. A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome:
* Focuses on themes other than politics and the military, such as the position and role of women in the Roman family, the foundation of the Roman legal system, and the topography and growth of the city of Rome
* Introduces the basic materials available for the study of the Roman Republic, including written, architectural, and numismatic sources
* Features a brief narrative history of the Roman Republic and an overview of the text's methodological framework
* Establishes key points of discussion for students, using comparisons between Roman society and our modern-day world
* Encourages students to critically examine the problems and issues raised by the material

Covering topics in Roman history that are frequently neglected in undergraduate classrooms, A Social and Cultural History of Republican Rome is an excellent primary or supplementary textbook for courses on the Roman Republic as well as broader Roman history classes that incorporate socio-cultural issues.

Product details

• Authors: Em Orlin, Eric Orlin, Eric M. Orlin
• Assisted by: Eric M Orlin (Editor), Eri Orlin (Editor), Eric Orlin (Editor), Eric M. Orlin (Editor)
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.09.2021
• EAN: 9781118357118
• ISBN: 978-1-118-35711-8
• No. of pages: 304
• Series: Wiley-Blackwell Social and Cultural Histories of the Ancient World; Wiley Blackwell Social and Cultural Histories of the Ancient World
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Geschichte, Kultur, Römische Geschichte, History, Classical Studies, Roman History, Humanistische Studien, Geschichte des Altertums u. der klassischen Antike, Ancient & Classical History, Kultur der römischen Antike, Roman Culture