CLAS 250 - The Ancient Roman City

Private and public life in the urban centers of Roman Italy forms the focus of this course. It traces the history of the city of Rome, with all of its political, economic, social, and religious institutions, from its origins in the 8th century BCE to the end of the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE. Students acquire a basic knowledge of the political and social history of Rome while discussing many of the ancient written sources that have a bearing on the subject of the private and public lives of Romans. Readings include Virgil, Livy, Tacitus, Juvenal, Petronius, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius. Through the different approaches of archaeological, epigraphical, art historical, topographical, environmental, and historical studies, students become acquainted with the material culture of the ancient Roman city. Emphasis is placed on Rome, the capital itself, and the prosperous towns on the Bay of Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii, that were destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE.

Credits: 1.00
Prerequisites: LATN 122 or LATN 123 or LATN 201 or LATN 202
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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