HIST 101 – Europe to 1500
Discussion Questions – The Fate of Rome
Discuss your assessment of the authors thesis. What is he trying to present to the reader, how is he trying to do so, and why does he believe his perspective is useful to our understanding of the broader subject? Do you find his ideas compelling?
2. Did you find the historical background presented useful in understanding the author’s approach? Did you think the specific examples given were well-chosen, in that they supported the author’s contentions? Was the historical information sufficient to allow understanding of the circumstances being discussed?
3. The author makes allusions to the present day and to modern science. Do you find these valuable to the study of Roman history, or does their inclusion seem inappropriate? Why do you think the author has chosen to refer to such current topics in a historical monograph?
4. Based on what you’ve read so far, what do you expect from the rest of the book? Did the first few pages provide a good sense of what the author intends to present later on, or is it vague or unclear?
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