Classics 304: The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome

The Roman Empire was the first and last empire to unite the entire Mediterranean world under a single rule. This course covers the art and archaeology of the Roman world, from its forerunners among the Etruscans in the early Iron Age, ca. 1000 BC, to the end of the reign of Constantine in the fourth century AD. We consider how one defines “Roman” in terms of period, territory, language, ethnicity, and cultural institutions; achievements of the Roman state in terms of unifying and developing the Mediterranean world and imposing a uniform culture; use of Roman art and architecture to establish and communicate identity and power; arts of emperors (monumental architecture, sculptures and mosaics) and more modest arts of private citizens (houses, paintings and statues).