Course Description
Examination of the archaeological, literary, and topographical evidence for the ancient city of Rome, from the Regal period through the fourth century A.D., with special emphasis on the architectural development of the urban/suburban continuum in ancient Rome and its environs.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional research and class presentation, including a major
term-long research project which will result in a paper of at
least 25 pages in length, and an oral presentation of the
research project to the class during the semester.
Athena Title
Ancient Rome
Prerequisite
CLAS 1000 or CLAS 1000E or CLAS 1000H or CLAS 1010 or CLAS 1010E or CLAS 1010H or CLAS 1020 or CLAS 1020E or CLAS 1020H or CLAS 3000 or CLAS 3010 or CLAS(ANTH) 3015 or CLAS(ANTH) 3015E or CLAS 3030 or CLAS 3040 or CLAS3050 or permission of department
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will: **know the archaeological, literary and topographical evidence for ancient Rome, from the Regal period through the fourth century A.D. **know the key archaeological sites and museum collections for ancient Rome **know how to use a variety of primary (including archaeological, epigraphical and literary) and secondary (including scholarly publications and web resources) sources to reconstruct a comprehensive picture of ancient Rome at any point from the Regal period to the fourth century A.D. **understand the place of Rome within the wider context of the Roman Empire and the ancient Mediterranean world **understand the process by which the ancient urban/suburban continuum developed **engage in critical analysis and synthesis of the various categories of evidence for ancient Rome **produce writing appropriate to the subject of Roman topography and history and to the disciplines of classics and classical archaeology.
Topical Outline
**Introduction: chronology, geography, sources of information **The Regal Period: Romulus to Tarquinius Superbus: archaeological and literary remains **Rome in the early Republic (ca. 509 - ca. 200 B.C.): development of architecture and topography of the sites; early expansion into the countryside **Rome in the late Republic (ca. 200 - 31 B.C.): Hellenization of architecture, contributions of Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Caesar and Augustus to the city; development of the suburbs **Rome in the Early Empire (30 B.C. - A.D. 97): Imperial building programs of Claudius, Nero and the Flavians; developments in architecture; increased movement to the suburbs from the urban center **Rome in the Second Century A.D.: Building programs of Trojan and Hadrian; continuity through the death of Commodus **Rome in the Third Century A.D.: Building program of the Severans; the threat to Rome in the middle of the century and contraction of the suburbs; the responses of Aurelian and Diocletian **The Christianization of Rome (fourth century A.D.): Constantine's building program; removal of the emperors from Rome; late antique deterioration of the city infrastructure