Classical Studies

The object of this course is no less than for you to learn what it was like to be an ancient Roman—and why that might still matter in 21st century. To do so we will investigate what made the Romans revolutionary in their time and of profound influence thereafter. This course is a rara avis (a ‘rare bird’). It is not only a history course—although we will encounter 1,000 years of Roman history, some of it in delicious detail. Still less is this only a literature course or an art history course—although we will be reading incredible works of literature and studying the sculptural and architectural monuments that gave shape to the European tradition, mediating Greek artistic achievements to create what became known (for good and ill) as the West. Think of this instead as a moral orientation to the Romans and their republic. What do we mean by “moral” or “republic,” or for that matter “Roman”? Fourteen weeks from now you will know!