3 credits A study of Rome from its foundation by the legendary Romulus until the rise of Constantine the Great and the end of antiquity. Students will explore Etruscan civilization, Rome's conquest of Italy and the Mediterranean, the survival of Greece, the evolution of Roman culture and the rise and spread of Christianity. Special emphasis is given to daily life in ancient Italy and the provinces, derived from reading historical accounts and examining archaeological remains. Counts toward the International Affairs minor. 3 credits Selected aspects of ancient Greek or Roman history.
Topics vary year to year based upon instructor and student interests.
Special Topics in Classical Studies. These are the words of Rome's first Emperor, Gaius Octavianus Augustus, who ruled an empire stretching from Spain to Syria, from Britain to Egypt. He has come to symbolize worldly glory and conquest, and modern critics have viewed him as a dashing adventurer, a ruthless tyrant, and a self-aggrandizing, superhuman living god. We will examine the life and career of Alexander through the eyes of his contemporaries and later classical biographers and historians. Cross-listed with the International Affairs minor.