Technology in Greek and Roman Society

Catalog description

Examines technological developments in Graeco-Roman world within a chronological framework so that the advances in technology can be related directly to broader changes in the Mediterranean world from the 7th century BC to the 4th century AD. Examines a variety of different types of technology including coinage, building construction, water management, agricultural/food production, terracotta, glass, metallurgy, shipbuilding, and warfare. Students look at ways in which the societal needs framed technological developmental at different times and places, as well as ways that new technologies affected the societies in which they occurred. A major goal is to examine the role of technology in the Mediterranean basin as the organization of society moved from the Greek city-state to Hellenistic kingdoms to the Roman Empire.