The Beginnings of Rome, 753-509 BC (Roman History I)

This course covers the history of Rome from its earliest foundation myths all the way through to the overthrow of the Tarquins in 509 BC. View all content

  • 4 Hours
  • Text
  • Quiz

Watch the first lecture

The annalistic tradition of Roman history is our single most important source for the early history of the city. In this lecture, we take a look at the primary historians of Rome's annalistic tradition, and examine some of the problems surrounding their use.

What you will learn

Module 1 – Sources of Early Roman History
Module 1
Module 1 - Sources of Early Roman History

In this introductory module, we explore what we know - and what we don't know - about the Romans' earliest historical traditions. A proper understanding of the nature of our sources is critical for the serious student of Roman history, and this is precisely what we aim for in this module.

  • 1 Hour 38 Minutes
  • Text
  • Quiz
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Module 2 – Pre-Roman Italy
Module 2
Module 2 - Pre-Roman Italy

In this module, we take a look at Italy prior to the founding of Rome. We also look at several Roman origin myths and bring the story down to Romulus and Remus.

  • 2 Hours 7 Minutes
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Module 3 – The Founding of Rome
Module 3
Module 3 - The Founding of Rome

This module covers the legendary early founding of Rome, from Romulus down to Ancus Marcius.

  • 13 Minutes
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