The Ancient City

Overview

This module considers the ancient Greco-Roman city as a dynamic form of settlement, from its origins in archaic Greece to its demise (or transformation) in the late antique West. Our readings will include ancient discussions of the political and economic roles of cities and of urban architecture and design, as well as depictions in prose and poetry of everyday life in imperial Rome and classical Athens. We will also examine the material remains of these two ancient “mega-cities” and of the smaller but well-preserved cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. We will attempt to formulate our own definition(s) of the ancient city, and we will trace changes in the organization and uses of urban space, and in ancient writers’ conceptions of the political, social, economic, and religious roles of cities, over the course of classical antiquity.

Learning Objectives

- An understanding of the historical and geographical diversity of ancient Mediterranean urbanism.
- An ability to recognize and evaluate historical debates (both ancient and modern) relating to the development of the Greco-Roman city.
- An ability to evaluate the wide range of textual and material-cultural evidence pertaining to the Greco-Roman city.

Skills

- The ability to engage with historical interpretations and to judge between them, both orally and in written form.
- The ability to evaluate the strengths and limitations of diverse primary and secondary sources.
- The ability to locate relevant sources and to construct a consistent written argument from them.
- The confidence to discuss, present and articulate arguments to peers.

Assessment

None