The Assassination of Julius Caesar

Classics/History – Essay Assignment

Please read through the following guidelines fully. You will have the choice between a Greek or a Roman history essay. Choosing one of the following topics you will produce an essay of between 5-6 double-spaced pages in length on the basis of your own research and interpretation of the ancient evidence 

1. Discuss the role of Alcibiades in the sacrilegious events of 415 BC
2. Discuss the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC.

In separate files in the ‘Essay’ folder on ATL, you will find the materials needed to conduct research into these topics: for Topic 1, see “Religious Scandal of 415”; for Topic 2, see “The Ides of March”

In these files, you will find several of the most important passages of ancient (primary) evidence that bear on the subject. Throughout the semester, you have been working on short, passage-for-comment exercises meant to train you in your handling of ancient evidence. You now should have a developing sense of how to spot the most important information in historical passages and how to critically analyze this information and interrogate its sources.

Throughout these early exercises, you have sometimes been guided by questions. In your initial reading of materials for your chosen essay topic it is recommended that you try to come up with a guiding research question that will help focus your selection of materials and guide your essay preparation; that is, come up with the kind of research question that can be reasonably answered in the space allowed and using the available sources.

The goal of this (and any other) essay should not be to produce a report that merely describes what you find in your sources, but to produce an argument based on your reading of those sources; hence the word ‘essay’ from the French essayer (‘to try’ as in “to try to convince” your reader of something). Your argument will take the form of a thesis, a central claim supported by the presentation of subordinated claims based on your analysis of primary evidence and engagement with secondary scholarship.

Your essays will be evaluated on the quality of the ideas and argumentation they contain. Ideas and arguments, however great, cannot be appreciated unless they are well articulated. As such, a considerable part of your grade for this essay will depend on its clarity and quality as a piece of writing. The essay should develop one central argument, set out in its introduction (the thesis statement). This argument should be developed clearly and consistently in the body of the essay. Each paragraph should be rooted in analysis (not summary!) of the primary sources (i.e., the ancient evidence).

Any quotation (direct quotations should be used very sparingly in such a short essay) or reference to a source (primary or secondary) must be accompanied by a citation (Chicago or MLA style are preferred. Any factual claim should be supported by citation of a source unless it is general knowledge.

Assignment steps:

1. Choose your topic.
2. Read as much (especially primary) material on the topic as you can get your hands on. It is not required, but it is okay to read material on your topic additional to that provided, which comprises the main primary sources.
3. Come up with a research question based on you reading. (What puzzles you? What contradictions between the sources arise or what gaps appear in their coverage of the topic? What problems or unanswered questions do you encounter in one or more sources that could be resolved by appeal to another source?)
4. Try to answer your research question in the form of a two or three sentence statement. This will be your working thesis. Note, this should be an argumentative, precisely worded statement rather than a vague description of your topic. A good, full, but precise statement should include some combination of a motive (a problem or issue), a proposed solution (your thesis), a plan to support your thesis, and a payoff (why the reader should care).

• E.g., “In this paper, I will argue that contrary to most scholars’ opinions, Pericles’ head was not in fact shaped like a squid.” [he is famously called SQUILL-HEAD by Athenian Comic poets] “I shall demonstrate this by, in the first two sections, surveying the known evidence for squids in the ancient Aegean. In the following paragraphs, I shall demonstrate that the word ‘squill’ has nothing etymologically to do with squids, and I shall propose a new interpretation of the famous Squill-Head moniker. This new interpretation helps to explain why Pericles habitually wore a helmet in public.

1. Prepare and submit a final paper based on your research, and your refined thesis and outline. Aim to finish a few days before the final deadline and be sure to think about the feedback you have given and received over the course of the essay project as you self-edit your final draft.