STUDY GUIDE--MIDTERM II

POTENTIAL ID'S:

POMPEY, CRASSUS, CAESAR, CICERO, CATILINE, SERTORIUS, MITHRIDATES OF PONTUS, SPARTACUS, CLODIUS, FIRST TRIUMVIRATE, (BIBULUS, CONCORIDA ORDINUM, MILO)

CAESAR, GALLIC WAR, CLEOPATRA, BRUTUS, PLUTARCH

ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, BRUTUS, LEPIDUS, OCTAVIUS, ACTIUM

PRINCIPATE, PRAETORIAN GUARD, AGRIPPA, JULIA, TIBERIUS, RES GESTAE DIVI AUGUSTI, SEJANUS, CALIGULA, CLAUDIUS, NERO

CATULLUS, LESBIA, AVE ATQUE VALE, VIRGIL, AENEID, AENEUS, DIDO, (TURNUS), (LAVINIA), (LATINUS), OVID, METAMORPHOSES, ART OF LOVE

POTENTIAL ESSAYS:

A. The conservative reforms of Sulla might have guaranteed senatorial hegemony for years to come, but a series of threats to the security of the Roman state in the 70's and 60's B.C. gave ambitious young men all the excuse they needed to subvert Sulla's constitution and bring senatorial control of Rome's affairs to an end.  Comment.

B. Gaius Julius Caesar was the most capable, most versatile, and most controversial man Rome ever produced. Comment.

C. The story of the Second Triumvirate has the makings of a great drama: suspense, adventure, and romance.  But it also has something of a "game show" quality.  Comment.

D.  In some ways, Augustus and the Julio-Claudian emperors who succeeded him were rather successful rulers.  But the stories of these rulers have elements of tragedy--tragedy both for the rulers themselves and for the people of Rome.  Comment.

E.  Though Roman poetry is largely an imitation of that of the Greeks, the best of the Roman poets are all strikingly original--not so much in the forms they employ, but in their insights into the human condition.  Comment.