The Roman World

By Dr Rhiannon EvansEducation

The Roman World episodes

August 19, 2013 Plautus and Pseudolus (handout)
Comic plays are the earliest complete literary texts we have from Rome, and the comedies of the mid-Republican poet Plautus have been enormously influential on European drama. In this lecture we look at what Plautus takes from Greek New Comedy, what is especially Roman about his plays, and how he plays with convention in the Pseudolus. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
0 min
August 06, 2013 The Republic: History and Literature
Rome's growing power in the Mediterranean during the mid-Republic (4th to 2nd centuries BCE) gave it wealth, luxury goods and access to new cultures. This lecture will investigate the history of the mid-Republic and how this affected early Roman literature, particularly the comic drama of Plautus. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
52 min
August 06, 2013 The Republic: History and Literature (handout)
Rome's growing power in the Mediterranean during the mid-Republic (4th to 2nd centuries BCE) gave it wealth, luxury goods and access to new cultures. This lecture will investigate the history of the mid-Republic and how this affected early Roman literature, particularly the comic drama of Plautus. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
0 min
August 06, 2013 The Republic: Slaves and Conquerors
This lecture looks at Roman slavery and power structures during the Roman Republic. Although the foundation of the Republic was represented by the Romans as an attempt to overthrow tyranny, Republican government clearly favoured rule by the elite. At the other end of the social scale, slaves were the most clearly excluded from power and even personal autonomy. We explore the extent to which we can determine what a slave's life might have been like. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
52 min
August 06, 2013 The Republic: Slaves and Conquerors (handout)
This lecture looks at Roman slavery and power structures during the Roman Republic. Although the foundation of the Republic was represented by the Romans as an attempt to overthrow tyranny, Republican government clearly favoured rule by the elite. At the other end of the social scale, slaves were the most clearly excluded from power and even personal autonomy. We explore the extent to which we can determine what a slave's life might have been like. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
0 min
July 30, 2013 Roman Myth as History
This lecture will explore the stories which Romans believed formed their earliest history, including the myth of Romulus and Remus, the arrival of Aeneas from Troy, and the kings of Rome. As we shall see, these tales can tell us a great deal about the Romans' own sense of identity, and, in particular the virtues and values they considered significant. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
51 min
July 30, 2013 Roman Myth as History (handout)
This lecture will explore the stories which Romans believed formed their earliest history, including the myth of Romulus and Remus, the arrival of Aeneas from Troy, and the kings of Rome. As we shall see, these tales can tell us a great deal about the Romans' own sense of identity, and, in particular the virtues and values they considered significant. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
0 min
October 11, 2012 Death and Burial in Ancient Rome
The disposal and commemoration of the dead gives us significant insight into a society. This is particularly true of the Romans, who venerated their ancestors and kept images of them in their homes. Funerary monuments were an indicator of wealth, status and aspiration for both elites and freedmen, but slaves are almost entirely excluded from the record - in death as in life. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
48 min
October 10, 2012 Death and Burial in Ancient Rome
The disposal and commemoration of the dead gives us significant insight into a society. This is particularly true of the Romans, who venerated their ancestors and kept images of them in their homes. Funerary monuments were an indicator of wealth, status and aspiration for both elites and freedmen, but slaves are almost entirely excluded from the record - in death as in life. Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.
48 min

About The Roman World

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The Roman World introduces students to the society, literature and art of ancient Rome, through a study of its major historical and literary figures, such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Virgil and…