Rome Under the Caesars

Catalog description

In this course we look at life and thought in ancient Rome from Augustus through Marcus Aurelius (30 BC - AD 180) based on material, documentary, and literary sources. We investigate humanistic questions across cultural boundaries. The primary focus is on how the inhabitants of Rome lived and what they thought about fundamental issues such as: How did elites and the common people function in a hierarchical society? What was the role of religion? of education? of art? How did Romans deal with death? What ultimately made life worth living for an ancient Roman? We will study the political lives of Roman elites, the rituals of daily life, and the art and architecture that made up the environment in which these people lived. These issues are then compared with our own attitudes in modern America in an attempt to understand differences and commonalities shared by human beings in different cultures.