History of Ancient Rome (Spring 2026)

Welcome to Week 7!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This week, after we discuss Roman expansion into the East, we start to experience the forces that will break up the Republic. It will take a long final century of turmoil and blood, though, before the Republic is swept aside for the principate.

With the Gracchus brothers, the tensions that have been building in the Republic start to break loose. They were a polarizing factor in their lifetimes, and they are just as polarizing now. From the primary sources, the readings, and the lectures, you get multiple perspectives on both brothers. Noble heroes or demagogues? Out to save Rome, or in it for the glory? Or both? What do you think truly drove Tiberius Gracchus, and how was his brother Gaius different or alike? Is their legacy their own doing, or did they happen to be the tribunes that pushed the conservatives over the edge?

And then we have the matched set of Marius and Sulla—who are, if anything, even more divisive today than the Gracchi. Marius, the singular arch-populist, and Sulla, the strange maverick among the optimates, are both remarkable figures. Both were great generals and compelling leaders… both honestly believed they were saving Rome… and both were ruthless murderers who took Rome by force and massacred all their enemies.

Sulla got the bad press because his side lost in the end, so step back and look at their stories objectively. What do you think of them as men, and what do you think of them as Romans? Do either or both earn your respect, and why? What do you think are Marius’s most lasting legacies, and what do you think are Sulla’s?

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

Quiz #4 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The grades and markups for Quiz #4 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website. (As announced in class, I decided that the wording of question 2 was not clear enough, and so all students taking the quiz got credit for question 2.)

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Sign up for your second presentation

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

If you have not done so already, go ahead and sign up now for your second presentation.

The sign-up page is on the course website (at markbwilson dot com), under Presentations. Look the list over and find one that seems like it might be interesting to spend a little time with when it comes up later in the semester. Each of the titles has a URL link to the reading, so you can get a preview. The dates we’ll be getting to each reading are there, too.

If you want to change a presentation you previously chose, send me an email with the reading you prefer to present on, and I'll swap them around.

Reminder: The Proposal is due Monday, March 23

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Here are a few brief reminders about the proposal, which is due very soon on Monday, March 23.

I’m looking for: a problem that can be argued; your proposed thesis; and any other thoughts about what you might want to explore or how you think you might go about supporting your argument in the position paper itself. I’ll give feedback on topic viability, scope, and possible primary and secondary sources.

There is also a video on the course website (see the Essays page or the Videos page) that details exactly what I’m looking for. A sample is also posted on the proposal page. I’m happy to discuss possible ideas and approaches in office hours, after class, or by email.

Here’s what the syllabus has for the proposal assignment.

The assignment: The proposal is just a brief one-page preview of your position paper. It should include:

The topic you think you’ll want to write about and the problem you’re interested in addressing. You should be able to delineate the problem by describing the opposing views people might take. To make sure you have two clear opposing opinions, you might want to express them in the form “Some say… . Others say….”
Your preliminary thesis statement—in other words, what you think you might be arguing in your paper.

Your thesis statement, both here and in the final paper, should be a statement of opinion that someone could disagree with. It can take the form of following up the description of the opposing opinions with your own: “I believe….”
Remember that your thesis is provisional. You can change anything about your approach and interpretation after the proposal; in fact, uncovering information as you do your research makes refining or changing your initial assessments very likely.

Your proposal is structured like the introduction to your final paper, and may serve as the basis for it.

The proposal is not graded, but whether you submitted a proposal on time will be factored into the final grade for the position paper. I will give you feedback on things like the feasibility of researching your topic, whether the scope is too big or too narrow for a paper like this, and some possible sources you might want to look at.

Quiz #3 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #3 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Welcome to Week 6!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week, after we finish up with the Punic Wars, we’re talking about the Roman expansion in the East. Did the Romans deliberately set out to create an eastern empire, or did it happen accidentally, as Rome reacted to events in the east? What factors do you think most drive Rome to increase its presence in the east?

We’re also talking about the effects of empire on Rome. What stands out to you as the way Rome is most changed by the acquisition of empire, and would the Romans have seen this as a positive change? What do you think the Romans were most concerned about as they saw the transformation that empire was wreaking on them? Why would they embrace Greek language and culture if they were so proud of being Roman?

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

Quiz #2 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #2 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.

Welcome to Week 5!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

After we get caught up on the Republic we’ll be discussing the single most important external conflict in Roman history: the nemesis of Carthage.

Both the First and Second Punic Wars also seem inevitable in retrospect. Why do you think the Romans really went to war? Did they really want Sicily and Spain, or was something else driving the Romans? Did they seek out these conflicts, or were they just reacting to events?

Both wars were utterly disastrous at first, and yet ended with Roman victories. Did those victories come from Roman success, or Carthaginian failures?

And: How do you think the Rome of 200, after Zama—the actual city, and its citizens milling in the Forum and gathering in its assemblies and in the senate hall—were different from the Rome of two hundred years earlier, before Veii and the Sack?

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

Quiz #1 grades and markups posted

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The grades and markups for Quiz #1 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.

To access your grades, go to the course website and navigate to the My Grades page. Choose your name from the dropdown and enter your password for the My Grades page.

This is a special password just for this page. If you have had me before, it's the same password. If you haven't or don't remember, click on "Email me my password" and you'll receive an automated email sent to the address I have for you in the roster. If you do not receive the email, contact me and I'll send the password to you manually.

Scoring: Each quiz is scored out of 5. Normally on the My Grades page you’ll see the current quiz average, including the lowest quiz being dropped, but I won’t start showing that until we’ve had a couple more quizzes. That’s why right now it says there are too few grades to show an average in the Quizzes line on the My Grades pages. Later, you’ll see the average quiz grade there.

If your quiz grade isn’t what you’d like it to be, don’t panic! It’s still very early and there are lots of opportunities to improve the quiz grade, as well as getting other kinds of grades to balance things out. Quiz averages tend to improve over the semester as the quiz process and the material become more familiar. The key step is to come into class on time and prepared, and to ask questions—as you study, by email, in office hours, and in class.

Quiz notes: I recommend spending a moment to take a look at the Quiz Notes for this quiz, which are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups. The quiz notes are not meant to be the “right answers” so much as information relevant to the choices you might make in response to these questions.

Welcome to Week 4!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week we’re taking a closer look at Rome’s leadership—consuls, dictators, and tribunes, among others. What limited what a consul could do? What about dictators—once they were given total power, what stopped them from taking over Rome and seeking their own glory? How did these leaders relate to the senate and the assemblies?

The early Republic corresponds with the period of the Roman expansion in Italy, leading directly to conquest and empire. It seems like a straightforward progression, with Rome’s dominion getting larger and larger, like a time-lapse video. How is that impression misleading, do you think? What motivates Rome’s expansion, and what has to happen for Rome to gain new territory?

Also, is it all about Rome? What factors in Italy might have made the growth of Rome’s power possible besides Rome’s military strength and adaptability?

Roman historians like to emphasize the Sack of Rome in 390 BCE as turning the Romans toward more aggressive expansion. What do you think? What signs do you see that suggest Rome would have kept on taking more cities after Veii even without the Sack—or would they have settled down into their new and improved city-state on the Tiber and stayed put?

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

Important notes on the Images Essay (due March 9)

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Here are a few brief reminders about the Images essay, which is due very soon on Monday, March 9.

Watch the video. Make sure to watch the overview video, since that tells you exactly what I am looking for. It’s on the Images Essay 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 describes and discusses three examples from the sources supporting your thesis statement. For models and explanations on how to do this, see “Writing a Position Paper” (a.k.a. “The Elephant Pamphlet”), which is on the Resources page.

Sources.

For the museum option, if you can go to a museum in person and view the works directly, that is what I strongly prefer, as this option is about your subjective reactions to experiencing the works you are writing about. Remember to choose two works that have the same subject (two little girls, two warriors, two fertility goddesses) but from different times or places so you can talk about the implications of how the same concept was conveyed differently in different times or places.
For the film option, you need to write about the agenda of the filmmakers and the agenda of the authors of the primary source and how each is using an ancient culture to impress their own beliefs (the filmmakers’ and the authors’) on the audience. If you’re not sure about the primary sources for the film you chose, make sure to come to me and we’ll discuss.

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 one for Google Docs as well.

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 essay so that it can be submitted on time.

Brightspace. All essays are uploaded to Brightspace. There’s a link to the assignment upload space on the main page. 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, you’ll need to export your paper as a Word document and upload that.

I’m happy to discuss any aspects of your sources or the essay, 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!

Welcome to Week 3!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week, after we finish with the kings, we’re exploring how the Romans did the same—and what replaced the abolition of the monarchy: the Republic. We’ll be looking at the nature of the Republic, opening up the hood and seeing what makes it such an effective and resilient form of government for Rome for nearly five centuries.

One key concern for us this week and in the weeks to come is the factors and values that kept the Republic strong for most of five centuries. What do you think really kept the Republic going, not only well enough to survive but to prosper, expand, and become an empire?

A good way to explore how the Republic worked and how they thought about their relationship with the state is sorting out the officials and systems of the Republic. What seems strangest to you about this set-up? What’s the most impressive to you, and why? What factors do you think aren’t accounted for that might be a problem? When you think about how all of this operates on a day-to-day and year-to-year basis, what do you think is most likely to go wrong?

The most disruptive internal conflict of this time is the Conflict of the Orders. What do you think this struggle was really about? Why do you think it turned out the way that it did?

Perhaps most importantly, there's the primary source you read this week. What did you get out of it? What is this author telling us about Rome, and what idea is he most bent on trying to convince you of? How does this fit with the rest of what we’re discussing this week?

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

No class meeting this week—see you next week!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Enjoy your break. Email me with any questions about upcoming assignments.

Our next class meeting is the following week. See you then!

Welcome to Week 2!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week we're talking about the Roman kings. What's most striking to you about the kings, and how the Romans saw them? Why do you think their legends described such a ferocious founding king in Romulus—and why did the Romans admire and literally venerate him anyway, placing him among their gods?

What do you think the stories of Tarquin and his son tell us about the Romans? Why are the stories of the Sabine Women and Lucretia so central to a manly culture like the Romans? Setting legend aside, what do you think really made the Romans turn their backs on monarchy?

Also: If you haven’t signed up for your first presentation, please do so now! Go to the sign-up #1 page on the course website and claim one of the remaining readings. Email me with any questions.

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

Signing up for your first presentation

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Over the course of the semester, we’ll be exploring a number of primary source readings—people from the ancient Roman world telling us what it’s like for them. Everyone will have a chance to briefly introduce two of these to the class in order to kick off our discussion of the text and what the reading is telling us. One’s on one of the readings from the first half of the semester, and the other is on a reading from the second half.

Go ahead and sign up now for your first presentation. The sign-up page is on the course website (at markbwilson dot com), under Presentations. Look the list over and find one that seems like it might be interesting to spend a little time with when it comes up later in the semester. Each of the titles has a URL link to the reading, so you can get a preview. The dates we’ll be getting to each reading are there, too.

If you haven’t watched the welcome video on the home page of the course website, do that first. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Weekly responses start this week

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Each week, in addition to our in-class lecture and discussions, we’ll be having an online discussion in which everyone responds to a reading or some other prompt that relates to the week’s topics. The responses start this week with the Week 1 response, which is sort of an open introduction to thinking about history.

The weekly responses are a part of your grade, so making a substantive post every week will be part of the routine for this course. (I used to ask these kinds of questions about the readings on the quizzes in class, but I opted for shorter quizzes and shifted this discussion to the online responses.)

Responses are due by the Sunday after the class meetings for that week. For example, this week’s responses are due Sunday, February 1. Of course you can make your responses anytime during the week, and I’ll always particularly appreciate responses posted before the class meeting in case there are ideas or questions I want to bring up in class.

To post your response, go to the course website (follow the links sent previously, or find markbwilson dot com and click on Courses), then click on Responses on the side menu or site map. There’s a link there to the Week 1 thread on Brightspace. You can also go directly to Brightspace and click on the Discussion section.

Make sure your response is substantial—a paragraph or two of your personal thoughts, ideas, and reasoning. Please try to write in complete sentences so your thoughts are clearer to others. Remember, the environment here is academic, not social media; think of this page as being like a group discussion in class about a subject we’re all trying to explore and give our ideas and perspectives on. Try to add to the discussion with new ideas or a new take on what’s been brought up so far by other students.

Any questions or issues, email me and let me know!

Welcome to Week 1!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This is a quick note to welcome you all to the beginning of History of Ancient Rome! I’m looking forward to exploring the Roman world with all of you, starting with our first meeting on Thursday. The meeting is in-person, 6:00 – 8:40 p.m., in Carman 209.

This week we’re exploring core stuff like Roman names, the periods of Roman history, and key themes of the course—all of which is not only material we’ll be relying on regularly throughout the semester, but gives us some really useful insights into the Roman character. What strikes you as most interesting or unexpected about the Romans? What do you want to know more about?

One thing I like to bring up in the first meeting is how we’re connected to the Romans. What parts of your life link us back to the days when Rome ruled the Mediterranean world—and why was that part of the Roman world so enduring that we still have it with us two thousand years later?

Syllabus and video: As a reminder, the syllabus, assignments, and requirements are all on the course website, which is on my website, markbwilson dot com. Make sure you’ve looked through the site and that you’ve watched the welcome video, which talks about how the course works and answers some common questions.

Books: Also make sure you have the book. The Schultz text will be getting regular use right away, and options for getting it (potentially cheaper) are on the Books page. The reading assignments on the Schedule page of the website are what you need to have read (and thought about) before coming to class.

Email me: Many of you replied back to the welcome-to-the-course email I sent you after you enrolled, confirming that I have a good email address for you. If you didn’t, could you do me a favor and reply back to this one and let me know that I can use this address, or that a different email is better for you? Thanks. I’ll be sending out lots of emails, including weekly previews and information on assignments, so it’s important I’m able to reach you.

Sign up for your presentations: There is a sign-up page on the course website for the two presentations on a primary source you’ll be doing: one in the first half of the semester, and one in the second half. These presentations are just you introducing a reading to the class, along with your take on what the author is trying to say and what you think it means, as a way of kicking off our discussion of that reading.

Get your first sign-up out of the way now and choose a reading that seems interesting to you. To get to the page, click on “Presentations” in the side menu, then “Signup #1”. As always, I'm grateful to those who pick the earlier ones! If you have questions, we’ll talk more about presentations and the rest of the course components at our first meeting.

I’m looking forward to meeting (and remeeting) you all and starting our Roman journey. See you Thursday!

Welcome to Week 0!

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Just a quick note to say hello and to check around for any questions you have about the course. I’m looking forward to setting out on our journey of exploration next week.

If you haven’t already done so at some point, please reply to one of my emails or email me at mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu to confirm I have a good email address for you. I like to send out news and course updates by email, and I want to make sure I can contact everyone. If you receive an email from me but there is an email address you prefer I use instead of that one, please definitely reply and tell me that. Thanks!

I’ve made the Brightspace page for the course available, so you should be able to see it in your Brightspace course listing. Note that we are using Brightspace this semester only for uploading papers and posting weekly responses. Everything else is on the course website, which is located at markbwilson dot com. Make sure to check that out if you haven’t yet, and to order the required text. There’s a link to the course website on the Brightspace navigation banner and home page.

That’s it for now. See you soon!

Welcome to History of Ancient Rome (Spring 2026)

mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu (Mark Wilson) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to History of Ancient Rome! I’m looking forward to an interesting semester exploring the cultures and transformations of the ancient Roman world, from its origins as a humble city-state on the fringes of civilization to the fall of the western empire.

Right now, I need you to do three things.

First, look over the course website, which will be our base of operations. Watch the quick welcome and orientation video (linked here and also on the overview page). Look through each of the pages on the website to see how the course will work and how the readings and discussions are set up. Any questions about how it works, please send me an email.

Second, get the book now if you can. A lot of you will be ordering books online, and you need to make sure you have the books and are ready to go when the course starts on January 29. On the “Books” page I’ve tried to give you lots of different options for getting what you need, but consider ordering now if there’s going to be any kind of shipping involved. (If you come across a legitimate online/e-text version of one of the assigned readings that’s not already listed, please let me know.)

Finally, please email me so that I know I have a working email address for you. You can just reply, reply and say “hi”, or reply with a question or concern, but I want to make sure I can contact everyone. If you receive an email from me but there is an email address you prefer I use instead of that one, please definitely reply and tell me that.

Email me anytime with questions at mark.wilson@lehman.cuny.edu. I look forward to starting our Roman journey together.