The Roman Empire and Its Frontiers

Catalog description

The territorial expansion of the Roman empire brought its inhabitants into contact with a vast array of ancient peoples, from the Germans and Britons of the north to the Carthaginians and Meroites of the south and the Arabs and Iranians of the east. This course will explore the encounters between the Romans and these foreign peoples, investigating how the Romans understood them, and how they understood the Romans. Classes will be centered on topics like the Roman army; the representation of foreigners in Greek and Latin literature; the study of Rome's enemies from an internal, non-Roman perspective; and long-distance trade and cultural exchange.