Announcements

Welcome to Week 11!

26 April 2026

This week we're talking about the Roman world adjusting to the loss of Augustus. What strikes you as interesting or surprising about the dramatic events of the Julio-Claudians? Why do you think we go from Augustus to Caligula and Nero so quickly? How much of Augustus's plan really survives his death?

Though each princeps defines an era, emphasis on the ruler in Rome does tend to eclipse other things. What's going on in the Roman world during this period that you think should really be drawing our attention?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you Thursday!

Link to Schedule page

Notes and reminders about the Position Paper (due Monday, May 11)

26 April 2026

Here are a few brief reminders about the Position Paper, which is due very soon on Monday, May 11.

Watch the video. Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on the Position Paper page.

Thesis statement. Make sure you have an introduction with a thesis statement (your argument asserting your position on the question/problem being addressed) and a body that described and discusses three examples from the sources supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, see the Structure video on the Essay Musts page. Another resource is “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on the Resources page.

Sources.

• You must use at least three sources, which can be primary or secondary; tertiary sources (including textbooks and most web pages) are not allowed. See the Evidence video on the Essay Musts page and the Sources page in the Research and Citations Center for more.
• All assertions must be supported by evidence.

Requirements for all papers. You must adhere to the requirements for all papers (listed on the Essay Musts page). Not meeting the requirements for all papers will mean a lower grade.

Template. There is an MS Word template already set up with some of the formatting I require on the Resources page. If you use Word I strongly recommend making use of this template. There is also a Google Docs template.

Late papers. As per the syllabus, late papers are marked down by ten points per class meeting, up to a cap of thirty points. Avoid this penalty and block out the time you need to prepare, write, and review your paper so that it can be submitted on time.

Brightspace. All essays are uploaded to Brightspace. Look for the Position Paper assignment. Your essay needs to be uploaded as a Word (preferred) or PDF file attachment, not pasted in as text submission. If you use a browser-based word processor, download or export to a Word document and upload that.

I’m happy to discuss any aspects of your sources or the paper, so please come to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about. I’m looking forward to hearing your interpretations of your chosen depictions of the ancient Roman world!

Link to Position Paper page

Important: We are meeting TWICE this week!

19 April 2026

Important: Because Tuesday is a conversion day and Thursday classes are meeting, we will be meeting twice this week: once on Tuesday and again on Thursday. Both sessions are required meetings, both from a grading point of view and because the subjects to be discussed—the reigns of Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar, the failure of the Republic, and the inauguration of the Principate—are absolutely critical to the understanding of Roman history. As either Cicero or Stan Lee used to say, ’nuff said.

This week we’re talking about Caesar’s assassination and its aftermath. Why do you think Caesar was really killed? Did the political climate make the failure of the self-styled liberators inevitable, or did they screw up a chance to restore Rome to a pre-Caesar state?

The end of the Republic is still dominated by colorful figures, including that oddest of couples, Antony and Octavian. Antony had the experience, and Octavian was just a kid—so what factors made it possible for him to win out over Antony? How does Cleopatra rate in all of this—pawn or freedom fighter? — Also: I mentioned the end of the Republic, but historians still argue over when the Republic was truly gone. Given what the Romans would have meant by the word, when does the Republic end, do you think? What are the possible turning points after which what’s operating in Rome is no longer the Republic of the previous four-plus centuries?

From there we will move on to Augustus himself and the principate he created, and there are so many perspectives on him. What makes it possible for Augustus to rule without serious challenge for so long? What exactly is the nature of this rule? What's wrong with it, and what's right about it? Looking over the period, what do you think the rise of Augustus and the emergence of the principate is telling us about the Romans of this time? Explore your thoughts and questions about Augustus, his role in the Roman story, and all that's going on around him. How different are Augustus the man and Augustus the idea?

Looking forward to discussing all of this with you. See you on Tuesday and Thursday!

Link to Schedule page

Finding Room B-84

16 April 2026

Tonight’s History Career Day is in Carman B-84. If you haven’t been there before, Room B-84 is in the carpeted section of the Multimedia Center that occupies the middle of the basement floor of the building (the floor you enter on from the outside descending steps).

From the main corridor on either side of the building, turn into the Multimedia Center hallway that goes across the middle of the building. Then make a second turn into the carpeted area. Look for for the signs on the wall with arrows that say B-84 and “this way.”

Welcome to Week 8½!

11 April 2026

For our meeting this week, we will be attending, as a group, the History Department’s Career Day panel event on April 16 from 6:00—8:00 PM in Carman B-84. This event focused on careers in History, Education, Communications, Public Humanities, Arts and Media, and Community-Based Work, organized by Prof. Robyn Spencer-Antoine. [Check out the flyer for this event here.]

This event brings together Lehman alumni and faculty working across public-facing fields, including: Communications and community arts; Secondary education (APUSH / Global History); Public history and museum education; Social policy and outreach; and Public history and public humanities.

The panel is especially relevant for students interested in careers in traditional classroom teaching and beyond. It will be of particular interest to History majors, Education students, Human Rights and Peace Studies students, and those interested in public engagement work. Refreshments will be served!

Please note: This event counts as an official class meeting. Attendance credit will be given, though there will be no quiz or weekly responses. Proceed directly to CA B-84 for the 6:00 PM event, and see me to get on the attendance list. As I have been asked directly by the department chair to bring my entire class to this event, I ask that you please attend out of respect for the department and your instructor. Thanks! Regular service resumes next week!

Also note: The schedule for the rest of the semester has been revised to accommodate this request from the department. This means that the reading assignments and presentation dates have been updated, but not other dates like the writing assignment deadlines or the date of the final exam. Please see the Schedule page and the Presentations page for the new plan.

Link to Schedule page