Humanities 110
Paper Topic #1
Spring 2008
Maximum Length 1500 words

Due Saturday, February 16th 5 p.m., in your conference leader's Eliot Hall mailbox.

1. Does Livy’s account of the origin and development of the monarchy and republic support Polybius’ theory of the natural change in types of government?

2. Cicero reports that, "some people believe that Epicurus, in order to avoid offending the Athenians, preserved the gods in words (verbis), but in reality (re) did away with them" (On the Nature of the Gods 1.85). Could the same charges be leveled at Lucretius, a follower of Epicurus?

3. Examine the way a Geertzian understanding of religion is relevant to one of the following: The Rise of Rome, On the Nature of Things, or the Ara Pacis.  Support your argument with close readings of evidence.

4. Compare two virtues both Augustus and Livy associate with the Roman Republic. What is the significance of their different understandings of these virtues for the project of refounding Rome?

Free tutoring! THE WRITING CENTER is staffed by trained, talented tutors capable of addressing a variety of problems at any stage of the writing process. It is open for drop-in help Sun-Thurs, 6-10 p.m. in the Dorothy Johansen House. Additional dates and times are available near due dates for Hum papers.  The Doyle O.W.L., Reed’s online writing lab, may be found at http://academic.reed.edu/writing