History 161: The Age of Augustus

Winter 2010

Second Paper Assignment

Benjamin West, "Agrippina Landing at Brundisium with the Ashes of Germanicus," 1768

Yale University Art Gallery 1947.16

Write a paper of 5-8 pages (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12-point type), on a topic of your choosing, with these limitations: it must be focused on the period after the death of Julius Caesar. In such a short paper, it's especially important to be selective and specific rather than vague and general in developing your thesis. Use specific examples from the texts you choose to support your argument. Some examples of the sorts of things I might choose to investigate if I were doing a paper of this sort: a particular type of coin or particular monument (such as the Ara Pacis), a particular action by Augustus (his decision to exile his daughter, for example); the way something is portrayed in a particular source or sources. Pick a topic that interests you / bothers you and really look hard at the evidence and the context.

Every paper must have a Works Cited section at the end (this doesn't count as part of the 5-8 pages). Be sure to cite the editions of the texts you use properly. You need not use secondary sources for this assignment, but if you do, you must cite them appropriately as well. You are expected to consult The Chicago Manual of Style for format (for documentation of sources, see especially sections 15.77ff. of the fourteenth edition; for instructions on how to quote extracts from poetic texts, see especially 10.11, 10.22, 10.25, 10.28, and 10.60). A quick guide to citing books, journal articles, etc. is available online at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

Bring 3 copies of your drafts to class on March 1. These drafts should represent your best work, and should be complete and well formatted, with Works Cited section included. We will divide the class into groups of four, and you will distribute these three copies to members of your group. Each group member is responsible for editing the drafts she receives, correcting typos, improving style, organization, and content, and writing a brief paragraph of critique at the end of each draft. Edited drafts are to be brought to lecture on March 3 /5 and returned to / discussed with their authors then. Final drafts are due at the start of lecture on March 15.