LibGuides: Classics 212: Roman History: Role Research

Preparing for your roles

As you prepare for your role in the "Reacting to the Past" game, you likely will want to do a little more research beyond the primary source materials and background reading already provided to you. A few tips:

Subject encyclopedias ( a type of tertiary source) are excellent for overviews both of the historical figure and the wider context.
Additional primary sources may help you better capture the voice of your character.
Additional secondary source material, such as that provided on your role sheets, can help you flesh out the details of the time period or controversy.

In-class practice

Look up Catiline in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome and browse through the entry and the brief bibliography.

a. Identify and briefly skim through a second entry that could help you establish more context.

b. Identify at least one primary source from the entry and find that source in the Loeb Classical Library.

c. Identify a secondary source from the bibliography in either entry and search for it in Primo.

Key Resources for Role Research

Begin with tertiary sources!

The Oxford Classical Dictionary Online, 3rd ed. rev. by Simon Hornblower (Editor); Antony Spawforth (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
ISBN: 9780198661726
Publication Date: 2005
Digital version of the one-volume dictionary. Covers all aspects of the Greco-Roman world: art, literature, philosophy, law, mythology, religion, science, daily life, and broad cultural and historical trends.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Michael Gagarin (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
ISBN: 9780195170726
Publication Date: 2010
This digital version of the multi-volume reference work is a comprehensive overview of the major cultures of the classical Mediterranean world--Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman--from the Bronze Age to the fifth century CE. It also covers the legacy of the classical world and its interpretation and influence in subsequent centuries.

Will it be helpful to find additional primary sources? Search the Loeb Classical Library for modern translations!

Loeb Classical Library
A virtual library of Greek and Latin literature with English translations. Includes epic and lyric poetry; tragedy and comedy; history, travel, philosophy, and oratory.

Are there additional secondary sources that might be useful? Search Primo!