Aims

By the end of the course, students should have acquired a broad base of knowledge of Greek and Roman Antiquity, in particular of Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greece and Republican and Imperial Rome. They will be introduced to Human Anthropology, Archaeology and Art History and will use archaeological data to undertake a reconstruction of a particular historical, social and political context. Particular emphasis will be laid on systems of exchange and acculturation and on the use of art by competing elites.

Main themes

The course is divided into two parts: the first part is about Greece and traces the development of the city-state from its beginnings to the time when the Hellenic countries were incorporated into the Macedonian Empire. The second part of the course is about Roman times and begins with a study of Rome's roots, its links with the Greek civilization and the Etruscan and Italic cultures and the process of synoecism which brought together different peoples and cultures. In both parts of the course, particular attention is paid to the study of the most representative monuments (in town planning, architecture, sculpture and painting).

Content and teaching methods

The course is an introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology and to the art of these two great Mediterranean cultures. It gives students a broad historical overview of the different forms (housing, architecture, sculpture, ceramics and decorative arts), from the beginning of the Iron Age up to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

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