Classics 287 - Art and Architecture of Ancient Rome

(Offered as ARCH 287, ARHA 287, and CLAS 287) Few monuments have the allure of the Roman Colosseum, the Forum with its ruins, or the majestic Pantheon—the latter the oldest surviving religious structure from the ancient Roman world still in use today (a Catholic church since 609 CE). These are but some of the countless public and private works of art and architectural craftsmanship that once blanketed the famed Seven Hills of Rome down through the floodplains of the Campus Martius and the Transtiber region. This course introduces the great artworks, monuments, and engineering wonders of the ancient Roman world, from their origins to the rise of the Roman Empire and Christianity (roughly from the sixth century BCE to the 5th century CE). Topics may include urban planning and water management, monumental decoration, the place of “private art” (painting, sculpture, and sarcophagi), the adaptation of Greek models (“Hellenization”), and the interrelationships with myth, religion, state power, and individual glory. We also consider crucial material developments, such as the use of brick and marble and the revolutionary building programs made possible by innovations in concrete technology in the late Roman Republic (second/first centuries BCE). Though focusing on Rome and central Italy, we also consider the spread of Roman material practices across the Mediterranean as well as the enduring legacies of Rome’s artistic marvels.

Limited to 50 students. Spring semester. Professor van den Berg.

How to handle overenrollment: Other things being equal, preference will be given to Classics majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Reading, visual analysis, field trips, written work, research skills, oral presentations, group work, group discussion, and class participation.