PS 831: Roman Political Thought

Daniel Kapust
I. Scope and Purpose
Why devote a seminar to Roman political thought? On the face of it, such a focus might seem odd;
after all, 20th century political theory and philosophy generally focused on Greek political thinkers we may
think of Arendt, Strauss, or MacIntyre, to name but a few. Indeed, Dean Hammer suggests that he wrote his
own recent book on Roman political thought in response to a question he was asked: What ever happened
to the Romans? Not only have the Romans been strikingly absent from 20th century political theory and
philosophy, Roman political thinkers such as Cicero or Seneca are often viewed as derivative of their
Greek predecessors, be they Hellenic or Hellenistic.
This was not always the case: Roman thought was of great importance through the 18th century,
evident in figures such as Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, and Madison. And focusing on
Roman political thought seems less strange when viewed through other disciplinary lenses: scholars in
English, history, the Romance languages, theater, and other fields did not lose interest in the Romans in the
same way that political theorists and philosophers did.
Yet Roman political thought has been undergoing something of a revival in recent years, due in part
to increased interest in republicanism among political theorists and philosophers (evident in the work of
figures such as Quentin Skinner and Philip Pettit), and also due to increased interest in rhetoric and the
rhetorical tradition. Beyond republicanism and rhetoric, the Romans would seem to be increasingly relevant
to our own politics: after all, Rome was an imperial republic faced with apparent trade-offs between liberty
and security.
Increasingly, then, work on Roman writers focuses on them less as sources for or in conversation
with later writers, and more as rich resources for political theorizing.We will take the writers we encounter
as figures worth studying in their own right, though we will, of course, pay attention to issues of reception and
influence. The majority of the writers we encounter will be Romans writing in Latin: the exceptions are
Polybius, a Greek who spent time in Rome and wrote for a Greek audience, and Plutarch, a Greek living under
Roman rule. We will read texts that fit in the (somewhat narrow) confines of traditional philosophical genres
Ciceros dialogues, and Senecas essays. But we will also read texts from genres that are not philosophical in
a narrow sense: works of history, poetry, oratory, and philosophical confession. In the course of studying
these texts, participants in the seminar will gain a deep understanding of the Roman ethical, social, and
political tradition from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. Students will write and present seminar
papers engaging with political theory, philosophy, and classical scholarship that are suitable for development
into conference papers and ultimately articles or dissertation chapters.

II. Course Requirements

Students enrolled in the course for credit will write a staged seminar paper. The paper, memos, and
the in-class presentations on May 2 and 9, will be worth 75% of the course grade.The goal is to produce a
paper that can be presented at a conference and eventually be suitable for publication. You will, in short, be
preparing your own contribution to scholarship on Roman political, social, or ethical thought.
The paper will be broken up into 5 stages:
1. Meeting with me to discuss the topic and a preliminary bibliography. To be completed no later
than Monday, February 17.
2. A 10-12 page annotated bibliography, to be turned in to me or placed in my departmental
mailbox by Friday, March 14.
3. A detailed outline of the paper (3-5 pages), to be turned in to me or placed in my departmental
mailbox on or before Friday, April 4.
4. The final seminar paper (25-35 pages), to be turned in to me or placed in my departmental
mailbox no later than Friday, March 25.
5. Two short memos (i.e. between 250 and 500 words), to be turned in to me or placed in my
mailbox by Monday, 5/8).
A. The first memo is to be in response to my comments on your paper. You
should, in this memo, outline what you take the core of my concerns to be, and
how you would go about addressingthem. This memo is, in essence, analogous to
the memos you will be writing inresponse to referee reports when you send
papers out for review.
B. The second memo is to be in response to comments made on your presentation.
You should, in this memo, try to synthesize these comments, and outline how you
would go about addressing
them. This memo is, in essence, analogous to what
many try to do after presentingpapers at conferences.
You will receive a grade for the paper as a whole, and not for the individual components, each of
which is designed to help you produce a stronger paper. In order to receive credit for the paper, however,
you need to complete each of the components.
The last two days of the course will be reserved for presentations of seminar papers. You should
view this as, in essence, a practice conference presentation, and will be allotted 15 minutes to present your
paper. We will then have 10-15 minutes of class discussion of the papers. The goal of this exercise is to
familiarize you with the basics of presenting at conferences, to provide further feedback on your papers, and
to further enrich the mutual learning experience of the seminar by incorporating peer feedback. The paper
itself should be viewed as a future conference paper, and eventual publication.

In addition to the seminar paper and presentation, participation will be worth 25% of the course
grade. This involves closely and carefully reading the assigned material, and participating in seminar
discussion. It also requires each participant to lead discussion once during the semester.
Auditors will be expected to do all the readings and to lead one discussion during the semester.
III. Incompletes and Academic Dishonesty
Incompletes for this course will only be granted under extraordinary circumstances. Academic
dishonesty will not be tolerated, and will be subject to severe penalties.
IV. Texts
I have ordered 11 books for this course, each of which is required.
1. Cicero, On the Ideal Orator, translated by James M. May and Jakob Wisse (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2001)
2. Cicero, The Republic and The Laws, translated by Niall Rudd (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1998)
3. Cicero, On Duties, translated by M.T. Griffin and E.M. Atkins (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1991)
4. Seneca, Moral and Political Essays, edited by John M. cooper and J.F. Procope (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1995)
5. Sallust, Catilines Conspiracy, TheJugurthine War, Histories, translated by William Batstone
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010)
6. Livy, The History of Rome Books I-V, translated by Valerie Warrior (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2006)
7. Tacitus, Agricola, Germany, Dialogue on Orators, translated by Herbert Benario (Indianapolis:
Hackett, 2006)
8. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, translated by G.M.A. Grube (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1983)
9. Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, translated by Martin Ferguson Smith (Indianapolis: Hackett,
2001)
10. Augustine, Political Writings, translated by Michael W. Tkacz and Douglas Kries (Indianapolis:
Hackett, 1994)
11. Plutarch, Moralia, Vol. X, translated by Harold North Flower (Cambridge: Harvard University Press,
1936)
V. Recommended Reading
Listed below is a small number of monographs, essays, and edited volumes that are particularly
useful for general reading on Roman political thought; a selection of more specific sources will be provided

with each weeks readings. This list is very much incomplete, and reflective of my own scholarly predilections
(as are the works I note for the specific readings). The general list is also very heavily weighted toward the
late Republic and early Principate.
- Arena, V. Libertas and the Practice of Politics (Cambridge, 2012)
- Balot, R., ed., A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought (Malden, 2009)
- Baraz, J., A Written Republic (Princeton, 2012)
- Brunt, P.A. Libertas in the Republic, in The Fall of the Roman Republic and Other Related Essays
(Oxford, 1988) (THE WHOLE VOLUME IS OF GREAT USE)
- Connolly, J. The State of Speech (Princeton, 2007)
- Eckstein, A. Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome (Berkeley, 2006)
- Edwards, C. The Politics of Immorality in Ancient Rome (Cambridge, 1993)
- Galinsky, K. Augustan Culture (Princeton, 1998)
- Garnsey, P. and R. Saller The Early Principate: Augustus to Trajan (Oxford, 1982)
- Griffin, M. Philosophy, Politics, and Politicians at Rome, in Philosophia Togata (Oxford, 1989) (THE
WHOLE VOLUME IS WORTH ATTENTION)
- Hammer, D. Roman Political Thought and the Modern Theoretical Imagination (Oklahoma City, 2008)
- Harris, W.V. War and Imperialism in Republican Rome (Oxford, 1979)
- Kapust, D. Republicanism, Rhetoric, and Roman Political Thought (Cambridge, 2011)
- Kaster, R. Emotion, Restraint, and Community in Ancient Rome (Oxford, 2005)
- Kraus, C. and Woodman, A.J., Latin Historians (Oxford, 1997)
- MacKendrick, P. and K.L. Singh, The Philosophical Books of Cicero (Duckworth, 1989)
- Millar, F. The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic (Michigan, 1998)
- Morford, M The Roman Philosophers (Routledge, 2002)
- Morstein-Marx, R. Mass Oratory and Political Power in the Late Roman Republic (Cambridge, 2004)
- Murphy, C. Are we Rome? (Houghton Mifflin, 2007)
- Nederman, C.J. Rhetoric, Reason, and Republic: Republicanisms Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, in
- Hankins, ed., Renaissance Civic Humanism (Cambridge, 2000)
- Nicolet, C. The World of the Citizen in Republican Rome (Berkeley, 1980)
- Nussbaum, M. The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics (Princeton, 1994)
- Powell, J.G.F., ed. Cicero the Philosopher (Oxford, 1995)
- Raaflaub, K. Aristocracy and Freedom of Speech in the Greco-Roman World, in Sluiter and Rosen,
eds., Free Speech in Classical Antiquity (Leiden, 2004)
- Roller, Constructing Autocracy (Princeton, 2001)
- Rowe, C. and M. Schofield, eds. The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought

(Cambridge, 2005)
- Sullivan, J.P Literature and Politics in the Age of Nero (Ithaca, 1985)
- Syme, R. The Roman Revolution (Oxford, 1939)
- Wallace-Hadrill, A. Mutatiomorum: The Idea of a Cultural Revolution, in Habinek and Schiesaro, eds,
The Roman Cultural Revolution (Cambridge, 1998)
- Wirszubski, C. Libertas as a Political Idea at Rome (Cambridge, 1950)
- Wiseman, T.P. Remembering the Roman People (Oxford, 2009)
VI. Schedule of Readings and Seminars
1/27: Setting the Stage
Reading: Polybius, Histories Book VI (To be available via Learn@UW)
Hammer, Roman Political Thought and the Modern Theoretical
Imagination, Chapter 1
Kapust, Republicanism, Rhetoric, and Roman Political Thought, Chapter 1
Recommended: Murphy, Are We Rome?
Walbank, Polybius
Eckstein, Moral Vision in the Histories of Polybius
Baronowski, D., Polybius and Roman Imperialism
2/3: The Rhetorical Republic
Reading: Cicero, On the Ideal Orator (selections TBA)
Recommended: May, ed., Brills Companion to Cicero: Oratory and Rhetoric
Steele, Roman Oratory
Fantham, The Roman World of Ciceros De Oratore
Remer, The Classical Orator as Political Representative, Journal
of Politics 72.4 (2010)
Alexander, Oratory, Rhetoric, and Politics in the Republic, in
Dominik and Hall eds., Companion to Roman Rhetoric
Goodwin, J. Ciceros Authority, Philosophy and Rhetoric (2001)
Stem, R. Cicero as Orator and Philosopher: The Value of the Pro
Murenafor Ciceronian Political Thought, Review of Politics
(2006)
Remer, G. Political Oratory and Conversation: Cicero versus
Deliberative Democracy, Political Theory (1999)
Garsten, B., Saving Persuasion (Cicero chapter specifically)
2/10: The Republic in and through History

Reading: Cicero, On the Republic, On the Laws

Recommended: Powell, ed., Cicero the Philosopher
Nicgorski, ed., Ciceros Practical Philosophy
Wood, Ciceros Social and Political Thought
Schofield, Ciceros Definition of Res publica, in Schofield,
Saving the City
Cornell, Rome: The History of an Anachronism, in Mohlo,
Raaflaub, and Emlen, eds., City States in Classical Antiquity and
Medieval Italy
Powell, J.G.F. and J.A. North, eds., Ciceros Republic
Fantham, E. Aequabilitasin Ciceros Political Theory, and the
Greek Tradition of Proportional Justice, Classical Philology
(1973)
Asmis, E. A New Kind of Model: Cicero's Roman Constitution in
DeRepublica, American Journal of Philology (2005)
Atkins, J., Cicero on Politics and the Limits of Reason
2/17: Re-founding the Republic
Reading: Cicero, On Duties
Recommended: Long, Ciceros Politics in De Officiis, in Laks and Schofield,
eds., Justice and Generosity
Gill, Panaetius on the Virtue of Being Yourself, in Bulloch,
Gruen, Long, and Stewart, eds., Images and Ideologies
Gill, C. Personhood and Personality: The Four-Personae Theory
in Cicero, De Officiis, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy
(1988)
Nicgorski, W. Ciceros Paradoxes and his Idea of Utility,
Political Theory (1984)
Kapust, D. Cicero on Decorum and the Morality of Rhetoric,
European Journal of Political Theory (2011)
2/24: The Republic: Crisis
Reading:
Sallust, War with Catiline
Sallust, War with Jugurtha
Recommended:
Wallace-Hadrill, A. Mutatiomorum: the idea of a cultural revolution, in
Habinek and Schiesaro, eds., The Roman Cultural Revolution
Fontana, B. Sallust and the Politics of Machiavelli, History of Political

Thought (2003)
Levene, D. Sallusts Catiline and Cato the Censor, The Classical Quarterly
(2000)
Boyd, B.W. VirtusEffeminata and Sallusts Sempronia, Transactions of the
American Philological Association (1987)
Stewart, D. Sallust and Fortuna, History and Theory (1968)
Syme, R., Sallust
Wiedemann, T. Sallusts Jugurtha: Concord, Discord, and the Digressions,
Greece and Rome (1993)
Batstone, W.V. The Antithesis of Virtue: Sallusts Synkrisisand the Crisis of
the Late Republic, Classical Antiquity (1988)
Konstan, D. Clemency as a Virtue, Classical Philology (2005)
Yavetz, Z. The Res Gestae and Augustus Public Image, in Millar and
Segal, eds., Caesar Augustus: Seven Aspects
Feldherr, A. Spectacle and Society in Livys History
3/3: The Republic: Alternatives
Reading: Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (selections)
Recommended: Clay, D., Lucretius and Epicurus
Gale, M., ed., Oxford Readings in Classical Studies: Lucretius
Gillespie, S., and P. Hardie, eds., The Cambridge Companion to
Lucretius
Asmis, E., Rhetoric an Reason in Lucretius, American Journal of
Philology (1983)
Jones, H., The Epicurean Tradition
Lehoux, D., Morrison, A.D., and A. Sharrock, eds., Lucretius:
Poetry, Philosophy, Science
3/10: Augustan Rome: Defects and Remedies
Reading: Livy, From the Founding of Rome, Books I through V
Recommended: Vergil, Aeneid, Book VI
Vergil, Eclogue IV
Brown, Livys Sabine Women and the Ideal of Concordia,
Transactions of the American Philological Association 125 (1995)
Chaplin, Livys Exemplary History
Konstan, D., Narrative and Ideology in Livy: Book I, Classical
Antiquity (1986)

Ogilvie, R.M. A Commentary on Livy Books 1-5

Syme, R. Livy and Augustus, Harvard Studies in Classical
Philology (1959)
Walsh, P.G., Livy
Luce, T.J., Livy: The Composition of his History
3/24: Stoicism and the Early Principate
Reading: Seneca, On Anger, On Mercy, On the Private Life
Recommended: Bartsch, S., 2009, Senecan metaphor and Stoic self-instruction,
in eds. S. Bartsch and D. Wray, Seneca and the Self, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 188217. (THE WHOLE VOLUME
IS WORTH ATTENTION)
Griffin, M., 1992, Seneca: A Philosopher in Politics 2ndedn.,
Oxford: Oxford University Press
Inwood, B. 2005, Reading Seneca: Stoic Philosophy at Rome,
Oxford: Oxford University Press
Long, A. A., 2003, 2006, Seneca on the self: why now?, in A.
A. Long, From Epicurus to Epictetus: Studies in Hellenistic and
Roman Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 360376.
3/31: Rethinking Public Life
Reading: Tacitus, Dialogue on Orators, Agricola, Germania
Pliny, Panegyric to Trajan(To be available via Learn@UW)
Recommended: Ahl, The Art of Safe Criticism in Greece and Rome, The
American Journal of Philology (1984)
Connolly, J., Fear and Freedom: A New Interpretation of Plinys
Panegyricus, Ordine e sovversionenelmondogrece e roman, ed.
GianpaoloUrso
Bartsch, S. Actors in the Audience: Theatricality and Doublespeak
from Nero to Hadrian
Boesche, R. The Politics of Pretence: Tacitus and the Political
Theory of Despotism, History of Political Thought (1987)
Roche, P., ed., Plinys Praise
Pagan, V., ed., Companion to Tacitus (KAPUST ON TACITUS
AND POLITICAL THEORY, AMONG OTHER CHAPTERS)
Syme, R., Tacitus (2 volumes)
Saxonhouse, A. Tacituss Dialogue on Oratory: Political Activity
under a Tyrant, Political Theory (1975)
Goldberg, S., Appreciating Aper: The Defense of Modernity in

Tacitus Dialogus de Oratoribus, Classical Quarterly (1999)

Riggsby, A. Pliny on Cicero and Oratory: Self-Fashioning in the
Public Eye, The American Journal of Philology (1995)
Fantham, E. Imitation and Decline: Rhetorical Theory and
Practice in the First Century after Christ, Classical Philology
(1978)
4/7: Plutarch
Reading: Selected essays from MoraliaVolume 10
Recommended: Aalders, G., Plutarchs Political Thought
Mossman, J., ed., Plutarch and his Intellectual World
Gill, C., The Structured Self
Lamberton, R., Plutarch
4/14: Marcus Aurelius
Reading: Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Recommended: Asmis, E., 1989.The Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius.Austieg und
Niedergang der Rmischen Welt II.36.3: 22282252.
Brunt, P. A., 1974.Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations.
Journal of Roman Studies, 64(1): 120.
Cooper, J. M., 2004. Moral Theory and Moral Improvement:
Marcus Aurelius, in Cooper, Knowledge, Nature and the Good
(Princeton), 335368.
Hadot, P., tr. M. Chase, 1998.The Inner Citadel: The Meditations
of Marcus Aurelius. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Annas, J., The Morality of Happiness
Rutherford, R.B., The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study
4/21: Augustine
Reading:
Augustine, Political Writings
Recommended: NOTE: There is an extraordinary amount of scholarship on
Augustine (who was both remarkably prolific and is remarkably
influential); the following list is very much minimal, and geared
towards collections.
Brown, P., Augustine of Hippo: A Biography (1967, updated
version in 2000)
Deane, The Political and Social Ideas of St. Augustine
Evans, G.R., Augustine on Evil

Holt, Laura, A Survey of Recent Work on Augustine, Heythrop

Journal: A Bimonthly Review of Philosophy and Theology (2008)
Markus, R.A., ed., Augustine: A Collection of Critical Essays
Matthews, G., ed., The Augustinian Tradition
Stump, E. and N. Kretzman, eds., The Cambridge Companion to
Augustine
Wetzel, J. Augustine and the Limits of Virtue
Pasnau, R., ed., The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy
Armstrong, A.H., ed., The Cambridge History of Later Greek and
Early Medieval Philosophy
4/28: Presentations (to be held on the Terrace or at Memorial Union)
5/5: Presentations (to be held on the Terrace or at Memorial Union)