01:30 PM to 02:45 PM MW
Art & Design Building 2026
Section Information for Spring 2013
Spanning the Mediterranean basin and extending into Europe and North Africa, the Roman Empire included a wide variety of urban spaces. In this course, we will examine three cities on the Italian peninsula—Rome, Ostia, and Pompeii—which offer examples of traditional architectural form and urban development. Rome, as capital of the empire, establishes prototypical monuments which are exported outward. Ostia, port city of Rome, reflects the developments in architecture and design in the capital but as a working-class city offers insight into different strata of Roman society. Finally, Pompeii reflects the wealth of an elite resort community embedded in a small-scale urban environment. By examining the individual architectural elements and organization of these three ancient cities, we will observe the standard forms of urban Romanitas (“Roman-ness”) and its significant variations. Please note that this course will focus on architecture and architectural decoration as well as concepts of urban planning and design. The course is not intended as a broad survey of Roman art. Also be aware that as a 300 level course, we will move at a fast pace and focus on precise, detailed readings of the material: exams will require a thorough understanding of specific information rather than “general” impressions. A writing assignment will be required.Tags:
Credits: 3
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.