A survey of the art of the Roman Republic and Empire to the emperor Constantine in the early fourth century C.E. Issues include the use of art and architecture as an expression of imperial political programs, the creation of urban architecture and the everyday environment of the Romans, and Rome's relationship to Greece and the Near East.
This Course focuses on analyzing and understanding Classical epic poetry, the ancient presentation of heroic figures and heroic exploits, and recognizing the influence of epic/heroic literature on the modern storytelling device of film. While the genre of epic is central to the course, other genres (both literary and cinematic) which present he-roic figures, e.g., tragedy, history, comedy, action, fantasy, will also be explored. Analyzing the works read or viewed via writing and class discussion will constitute the primary course activities; students will engage in reading, viewing and writing outside of class, while class time will include some writing, viewing and discussion. In order to allow am-ple time for discussion and analysis, the majority of films in their entirety will be viewed outside of class. The course grade will be based substantially on written analysis (i.e., essays, papers) of the texts and films studied.
ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.
From Britain to Africa and from Spain to Iran, the Roman Empire seemingly united diverse peoples and cultures. All roads led to Rome, the City - Urbs, a cosmopolitan and overcrowded metropolis. In this course we study written records and material remains from the beginnings of Rome in the eight century BCE to the late Empire in the fourth century of our era. We follow political, social, economic, and cultural changes over time, examining a variety of evidence and voices and keeping abreast of current problematic areas and scholarly debate. The Roman material is supplemented with comparative evidence from non-Roman societies within and bordering the Empire, as we account for the relevance of past experiences to our current issues.