Classics 102 (Section 2): Ancient & Modern Gardens

This course investigates the intersection of ancient and modern gardens through themes like nature, gender, religion, and power. We explore how the ancient Greeks and Romans understood gardens through their literature, visual art, and material culture to gain a sharper perspective on modern attitudes to and within gardens. We will consider how different approaches to nature, such as ecocriticism, environmental history, and traditional forms of knowledge, can help us grasp how societies shape natural environments according to their perceptions. Part of the course will take place in gardens and prompt us to envision what contributions we can offer to our own communities.