Course Description
Sculpture, architecture, and wall painting of ancient Rome and the lands governed by Rome from the beginning of the Iron Age (1000 BC) to the reign of Constantine (AD 330) in its historical, social, and cultural context. Critical methodological issues, recent important archaeological discoveries, and on-going debates are highlighted.
Athena Title
Roman Art and Architecture
Prerequisite
ARHI 2000 or ARHI 2000E or ARHI 2000H or ARHI 2300 or ARHI 2300E or ARHI 2311H or ARHI 2400 or ARHI 2400E or ARHI 2411H or CLAS 1000 or CLAS 1000H or CLAS 1010 or CLAS 1010H or CLAS 1020 or CLAS 1020E or CLAS1020H or CLAS(ANTH)3015 or CLAS(ANTH)3015E
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course offers a critical introduction to the art and architecture of Rome and the Roman Empire. Students learn how to visually analyze artworks and understand them at the technical and theoretical levels through direct object-oriented study and engagement with the different methodologies of art historical scholarship. Students learn about the historic and cultural context of such artworks, the ancient display environment, and the effect such works had on various Roman viewers. Students demonstrate their skills in two written examinations covering the lectures, class discussion, and assigned readings.
Topical Outline
I: What is Roman Art? Definitions and Historiography II: Iron Age, Regal, and Republican Rome III: Art and Culture in the Mid Republic IV: Visual Art and Politics in the Late Republic V: The Age of Augustus VI: Julio-Claudian Rome and the Provinces VII: Under Vesuvius: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis VIII: The Flavian Dynasty IX: The Reign of Trajan X: Hadrian and the Pax Romanum XI: The Antonine Era: East and West XII: The Severan Dynasty and Military Anarchy XIII: The Tetrarchy XIV: The Age of Constantine XV: Late Antiquity: Continuity and Discontinuity XVI: The Afterlife and Legacy of Roman Art