Review Sheet for Exam 2

The exam will take place in our regular classroom and we will begin promptly at the start of class. You will have the full class period to complete the exam, but probably will not need it.

Assigned Readings for Exam 2

The Aeneid, Tacitus, Chapters 1-6 and TWTR pp. 43-106

PART I

THE SHORT ANSWERS WILL BE WORTH 40% OF YOUR EXAM GRADE

Here are 15 topics that you have learned about in your reading of These Were the Romans. You will be given 10 of these questions on the exam and asked to choose 8 of them and to write 2-3 sentences in answer. Points will be deducted for the following: failure to write in complete sentences and failure to provide a complete answer.

Why did the provincials complain about the Roman system of taxation?

What are Quintilian's ideas about teaching?

Why did the Romans place great emphasis on speaking and oral exercises as part of their education?

What were the Roman attitudes towards marriage?

What does the advice that Marcus Cicero gave to his brother Quintus tell us about Roman politics?

Describe Roman funeral rituals and explain why the Romans attached so much importance to their ancestors.

What is a Roman volumen and how did it differ from a modern book?

Who was Catullus and how did his work give insight into the Roman social world of the Republic?

Explain the philosophy of Epicurus.

What are the two remarkable qualities of Cicero's writing style?

How did the Romans celebrate a military triumph?

Why was Tiberius unsuited to a position of supreme power?

How did Claudius reorganize the civil service during his reign as emperor?

Why was Nero's behavior so outrageous and why was he able to get away with it for so long?

Describe two ways in which Vespasian demonstrated effective leadership.

PART II

THE ESSAY QUESTION WILL BE WORTH 60% OF YOUR EXAM GRADE

Essay Questions: You will see TWO of the following FOUR questions on the exam. You will be asked to choose ONE of the TWO questions and you will be expected to write a coherent essay that uses evidence from the texts and what you have learned in class. Expect to write 2-3 pages to answer the question completely.

Points will be deducted for the following: 1) failure to write in complete sentences and 2) answers that use vague generalizations instead of specific details. An example of a vague answer would be "Aeneas was a hero because he demonstrated the qualities that Romans consider heroic." Instead, write an essay that makes an argument about the qualities that the Romans would consider to be heroic and how Aeneas demonstrated them.

1) Does Tacitus think that the past was better than the present? Give at least four examples from your reading in the Annals to explain your answer.

2) Compare the characters Dido and Camilla in Vergil's Aeneid. Do they demonstrate any Roman qualities or are they barbarian-leaders? Is there a comparable woman in Tacitus' Annals?

3) What kind of hero is Aeneas? Do you find any character flaws in him that might hinder his ability to be a hero? In particular, your answer should discuss Priam and Aeneas' failed plans to murder Helen (in Book II). Find at least two other episodes in Books I-VI in which Aeneas displays heroic behavior and contrast it with his behavior in Book II.

4) Choose two events in which Tacitus depicts the senatorial class losing freedom to the emperor. How was the senatorial class's power diminished at the end of each episode? In your opinion, were the accomplishments of the Principate worth the price of monarchy? Why?