Essay #2

Roman History:  Paper Assignment #2

Format: 

 All papers are to be 3-5 pages long (no more, no less), neatly typed on white paper (8 1/2 x 11), double-spaced. You must use 12 point font.  Proofread carefully for proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.   Papers not conforming to this format will be returned for rewriting, and points will be deducted for their being late.

Choose one (1) of the following topics:

1. Consider Tacitus’ description of the trial and death of the historian Cremutius Cordus (L&R II, pp. 18-19) and the evidence for Roman oratory and rhetorical education during the principate (L&R II, #55).  In light of these passages, discuss Tacitus as a source for the history of the Roman principate. 
2. Consider the inscriptions honoring the senator Lucius Funisulanus Vettonianus (L&R II, top of p. 45) and the equestrian Marcus Petronius Honoratus (L&R II, p. 48).  Discuss how these men’s careers illustrate adjustments made by the Roman elite to the powers of the princeps?
3. Develop your own topic around one or two selections from Lewis & Reinhold volume I or II.  For this option, you must first receive approval from me or Damian.   An e-mail briefly describing your idea will suffice.

Writing tips:  

1. Get right to the heart of your argument, stating your thesis in one or two sentences within the first paragraph.   Do not summarize events, unless the summary contributes directly to your argument.  Assume that your reader is already familiar with the basic facts.
2. All topics require close attention to one or two primary sources.  Therefore, you will need to quote these sources, but do so judiciously.  You are welcome to bring in other evidence from any relevant part of L&R, but this is not a requirement.

Papers will be graded on the basis of:

• A clear and thoughtful thesis
• Thorough understanding of the primary texts under discussion and effective use of them to support the thesis
• Effective organization of ideas/paragraphs within the essay
• Clarity, accuracy, and fluency of English prose.  Remember that your ideas are only as persuasive and compelling as the language in which they are expressed.