Itinerary and Syllabus

Preparation before arrival: (Required)

  1. “Historical Overview” in Claridge, p.4-32 (pdf in notebowl)

  2. Mary Beard Meet the Romans: (3 hrs) [youtube]

Preparation before arrival: (Recommended)

  1. Salvatore Settis “If Venice dies…” (1hr) [youtube]: Although Venice is in the title, this lecture, based on his book, Se muore Venezia…, talks about the problems for italian cities with tourism and modernization. You may think about the whole experience differently after it. The talk begins @ 6:50 and ends @ 49. I know he can be hard to understand, but believe me he speaks Italian unbelievably fast and you will find this easier.

  2. Berger “Ways of Seeing” (2 hours) [youtube]: An oldie, but a fundamental investigation into the experience of art in the modern world.

  3. Mary Beard Why ancient Rome matters (20 min) [guardian article]: This article reproduces some of the ideas from her recent book, SPQR, which I can recommend as quite useful for our course and readable


Note: you are responsible for paying for 8 lunches and 4 dinners. I would suggest you bring between 200 and 250 Euro to cover these meals.


Day 1: Early Archaeology Walk Thursday, May 17

Preparation:

  1. Watch Layers of Rome [8 min]

  2. Watch The Architecture and Engineering of Rome [12 minutes]

  3. Read Claridge p.39-45 (Building Materials)

  4. Prepare circa 5 minutes on one. Be able to talk about (if possible) dates, original purpose, builder, history of monument. Add something interesting from your reading.

Objectives

  1. Be able to identify at sight: tuff, travertine, marble.

  2. Know how Roman temples differed from Greek temples.

  3. Know why the City of Rome is a “palimpsest” and point out examples.

  4. Know what the triumphal procession is and how it affected the city of Rome.

  5. Be able to navigate to the city center and back to the Centro on public transportation

Activities:

1. Early Rome Architecture Walk (11-1pm)

2. Meet at Round Temple at 11:30 AM [map], wearing “church modest” attire (shoulders and knees covered).

Presentations

Tiber Island (257) (Caroline)

The Roman Triumph (pdf “triumph” in notebowl) (Alyssa)

Republican Victory Temples (in vegetable market) (279) (Anthony)

Temple of Portunus (285) (Emma)

Round Temple (p.287) (Allyson)

Arch of Janus (291) (Ramsey)

S. Maria di Cosmedin (288) (Abigail)

Temple of Apollo Medicus Sosianus (277) (Ryn)

Theatre of Marcellus (275) (Maria)

Porticus of Octavia (253) (Mara)

Republican victory temples (in Largo Argentina) (240) (Cierra)


3. Ganicolo Visit. Meet in Lobby @ 4:30 pm. No dress code, bring Camera.

Group Dinner. 7:30 at Emma.


Modern City

Bocca della Verità (wiki link), Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin (wiki link), Fontana delle Tartarughe (tourist site), Rome’s Jewish Ghetto (youtube video): Carciofi alla Giudia!


Day 2: Testaccio, Montemartini Museum Friday, May 18

Preparation:

  1. Watch Testaccio (5min)

  2. Read: 402-3 [Testaccio]; 468-9 [Montmartini]

  3. Watch: Roman Portraits (video 1mn, Veristic Portraiture 3mn)

  4. Recommended: Beard on Testaccio (c.5min)

  5. Recommended: Erdkamp (2001) “Beyond the Consumer City” Historia p.332-356. (pdf on notebowl)


Objectives

1. Understand how Monte Testaccio serves as evidence for the “consumer city” models

2. Be able to recognize freedman reliefs and discuss their significance

3. Be able to recognize “veristic” portraits and discuss their significance

Activities

Before going to the Museum, consider enjoying some dolci at Andreotti! Before or after, a sandwich at Mordi e Vai is a great treat. Not to be missed are the polpette (beef stew shaped into a ball and fried). Plan to arrive at Montemartini by bus by 12pm. I would go this way: I would get off at andreotti and then walk the rest of the way to museum fuelled on sugar and coffee

  1. Montemartini Powerplant Museum (11-2)

  2. Monte Testaccio (3pm)


Modern City

Katie Parla on the Testaccio Market (2min)

Eat at Mordi e Vai? (website) (my favorite sandwich shop)

Stop at Andreotti for un caffé and sweets. Famous are the maritozzi con la panna


Day 3: Forum, Palatine, Colosseum Saturday, May 19

Preparation:

  1. Examine Piranesi’s engraving (c.1775) of the Campo Vaccino (Click the image)

  2. Roman Forum [15m]

  3. Prepare your monument

  4. Read Claridge p.312-19 (Colosseum)

Objectives:

  1. Be able to identify the Capitoline, Palatine and Aventine hills.

  2. Be able to describe the use of the forum and talk about its use of space

  3. Know the following buildings and their purpose(s): Curia, Basilica, Arch, Rostra

  4. Be able to describe how and why Augustus reoriented to forum

Activities

  1. Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Meet the ticket office at via Cavour & via dei Fori Imperiali [map] at 8:45. Bring only small-medium sized backpacks are allowed in (they will be x-rayed). No dress code. Bring something to eat for Lunch on the Palatine before we go to the Colosseum. There is no food for sale in the archeological site.

Presentations

Porticus of Gaius and Lucius & Basilica Paulli (69-71) (Caroline)

Curia (71-75) (Alyssa)

Arch of Septemius Severus (78-9) (Abigail)

Temple of Saturn (83-4) (Emma)

Rostra (85-87) (Ramsey)

Basilica Julia (92-3) (Anthony)

Temple of Castor (94) (Ryn)

Temple of Vesta and Atrium Vestae (105-9) (Maria)

Arch of Titus (121-123) (Mara)

Domitian’s Palace (145-160) (Cierra)

Houses of Livia and Augustus, Temple of Apollo (135-45) (Erin)

Ludus Magnus (319) (Allyson)


2. Colosseum We will visit the colosseum as a class from the outside only. If you want to go in, your tickets are valid and we have a group entry at 2:40 at the stern entrance

NOTE: From 8pm to 2AM, there is 1 Euro entry to many of Rome’s museum (called notte dei Museii)


Day 4: Pyramid of Cestius, Palazzo Massimo Sunday, May 20

Preparation:

  1. Read: Nodleman, How to read a roman portrait (pdf on notebowl)

  2. Watch Four Styles of Pompeian Painting (9min)

  3. Read from Denison Packet on Palazzo Massimo (p.4-8)

Objectives:

  1. Know how to read a Roman portrait

  2. Know and identify the 4 Pompeian styles and their dates

Activities

1. Meet at the Pyramid of Cestius at 10:50 (possible route). Meet outside the Palazzo Massimo Museum (map) at 1 PM. Backpacks must be checked. Notebook, camera will need to be carried by hand.

Presentations

Pyramid of Cestius (387-401) (Erin)

2. Lunch on your own

3. Museum Visit: Palazzo Massimo (1-3:30)


Modern City

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (church dress code) [built into the frigidarium of the baths of diocletian!]

Piazza della Repubblica

Servian walls in Termini

Check out the new Mercato Centrale Roma (in stazione Termini!)

How Cestius’s monument was cleaned (1min)


Day 5: Campus Martius, Ara Pacis Monday, May 21

Preparation

  1. Watch Diana Kleiner on the Ara Pacis (# 6 Ara Pacis only) (22 min).

  2. Watch Il Mausoleo di Augusto (4 min);

  3. Watch Campus Martius in the Roman Period (youtube 5min)

  4. Watch: Roman bathing (youtube 7 min)

  5. Read from Res Gestae, Denison Packet, p. 11

  6. Prepare your monument in groups

Objectives:

  1. Know the motifs of the Ara Pacis

  2. Understand how the Campus Martius was used by emperors for monumental building

  3. Learn to read a Roman inscription, even if you don’t know Latin!

Activities

Meet outside the Baths of Diocletian Museum @ 9 AM (map). Meet outside the Ara Pacis Museum at 12:30. (you probably want to take the #70 from Termini or Metro) Church appropriate. Backpacks must be checked. Notebook, camera will need to be carried by hand.

Group Presentations

Baths of Diocletian Museum 9-11 AM

Lunch on your own (try the Mercato Centrale Roma in Termini)

Ara Pacis (Group 1)

Augustus’ Mausoleum (Group 2)

Column of Marcus Aurelius (Group 3)

Temple to the Deified Hadrian (Group 4)

Pantheon (Group 5)

Piazza Navona-Stadium of Domitian (Group 6)

(done by 4pm)


Modern City

Read about the controversial museum: New York Times Review of Richard Meier’s Museum

Drink a Granita di caffè at Tazzo d’oro, of course.

Don’t Forget the Fascisti: Il Duce visita l’ara pacis (2 min); Isolating the Mausoleo from the city (1934) (2 min)


Day 6: Capitoline Museum, Imperial Fora Tuesday, May 22

Preparation

  1. Read Claridge p.460-8 (Capitoline Museums)

  2. Watch Imperial Fora: Introduction (5min);

  3. Watch Video illustrating the construction of Trajan’s Column (5min) [Silly, but surprisingly informative]

  4. Prepare your monument

Objectives

  1. Consider the nature of the museum as public display.

  2. Be able to describe how rulers changed the topography of the city (esp. regarding the Capitoline and Quirinal hills)

  3. Consider the problems of preservation and display of ancient objects

Activities

Meet in front of the statue of Marcus Aurelius in the piazza di Campidoglio at 9:00. No dress code. Backpacks must be checked. Notebook, camera will need to be carried by hand. We will finish at the capitoline museum by 1pm. Lunch on your own: a nice cafeteria in the Capitoline. Special entry @ 5pm Meet at the Column of Trajan at 4:55 pm.

Group Presentations

Forum of Caesar (163-169) [Group 1]

Forum of Augustus (177-180) [Group 2]

Forum of Trajan (180-184) [Group 3]

Basilica Ulpia (184-186) [Group 4]

Trajan’s Column (186-193) [Group 5]

Trajan’s Markets (193-196) [Group 6]


Modern City

  1. Learn about the history of the Campidoglio

  2. Learn about Mussolini, Via dei Fori Imperiali, and the Metro line C


Day 7: Ostia Wednesday, May 23

Preparation

  1. Recommended: Read Coarelli [PDF on notebowl] Overview of Ostia and walk.

  2. Watch Video [8 min] good introduction to Ostia Antiqua

  3. Read all about toilets! Roman Sanitation (c.10 minute read)

Activities

Meet at Pyramide Train station at 9 a.m. [map] 9:15 train departs to Ostia Antica on FC2 Roma-Lido [45 min]. Wear comfortable walking shoes, as we will walk a very long way over very uneven streets. You can bring your lunch or eat at the rather nice cafeteria. We will finish by 3 or 4 pm. You may wish to go to the beach nearby for an hour or so when we finish so pack appropriately.

Site Presentations

Baths of Neptune (Emma)

Barracks of the Vigiles (Ramsey)

Piazzale delle Corporazioni (everyone pick a statio!)

Theater (Anthony)

Fullonica (Ryn)

House of the Millstones (Maria)

House of the Bar (Caroline)

Capitolium (Mara)

Circular Shrine (Cierra)

Temple of Rome and Augustus (Allyson)

Forum Baths (Erin)

Mithraeum in Terme di Mithra (Alyssa)

Baths of the seven sages (Abigail)

Group Dinner at Flavio @ 7:30

We leave tomorrow for Campagnia, so you will need to pack and be ready to leave early tomorrow morning. Bring yourself a lunch.


Day 8: The Villa life Thursday, May 24

Preparation

  1. Watch Villas in Stabia (12 min youtube video in Italian, auto-translated subtitles available)

  2. Watch Restoring Ancient Stabiae (youtube 6 min)

  3. Read Pliny’s Letters to Tacitus

Activities

Board pullman (tour bus) to Stabia @ 9 AM. The trip takes about 2-3 hours, depending on traffic. Bring a lunch with you. We will visit two villas near the Vesuvian institute, where we are staying. Group dinner at Vesuvian Institute, c. 7:30

  1. Villa San Marco

  2. Villa Arianna


Day 9: Paestum Friday, May 25

Preparation

  1. Watch The Graeco-Roman City of Paestum (4 parts) (c.22 min) The Open University (UK)

Objectives

  1. Learn about Magna Graecia

  2. Know how to recognize a Greek temple

Activities

Breakfast at Vesuvian 8:30am. At 9 AM get your bag lunch and get on the pullman to the ancient site of Paestum. We will tour the site and the Museum. We should be finished at Paestum by 2 pm. Dinner at Vesuvian 7:30 pm


Day 10: Naples Archaeological Museum Saturday, May 26

Preparation

  1. Read the Wikipedia Entry for National Museum of Naples

  2. Read Arrian on Alexander and Darius p.18-20

Activities

Breakfast at Vesuvian (7:30). Travel to Naples Museum by commuter train [c.1hr] You get to the Naples Museum by taking the Circumvesuviana train to Naples (50 min). Get off on the penultimate stop, Napoli Garibaldi (nb not the last stop, Napoli P.Nola). Go to metro line 2 (towards Pozzuoli). Take metro one stop (4m.) to Cavour. Walk up the hill, through the park, to the Museum (the big pink building). We will visit the National Archaeological Museum Naples until circa 1 pm. You are then free to explore the city and have a real Naples pizza. Some recommendations: da Michele (cheap, good, but busy with tourists, thanks ‘eat, pray, love’), Starita, Sorbillo, or find your own! Dinner at Vesuvian 7:30 pm.


Day 11: Herculaneum & Oplontis Sunday, May 27

Preparation

  1. Life and Death in Herculaneum (BBC with Wallace Hadrill) [1hr]

  2. Recommended: Leisure and Luxury Opening (30 min)

Activities

After Breakfast at Vesuvian (7:30), we will travel to Herculaneum by the circumvesuviana train [c.60 min]. We will tour Herculaneum (10-12). We will then travel to Oplontis [c.30 min] and visit the site (1-3 pm). Dinner at Vesuvian (7:30)


Day 12: Pompeii Monday, May 28

Preparation:

  1. Watch: Mary Beard: Life and Death in a Roman Town [1hr]

  2. Read Petronius in Denison Packet, p. 21-22

  3. Read Pompeii Assignment (in notebowl)

Activities

After breakfast at Vesuvian (7:30), you will travel on your own to Pompeii [c.20 min]. Your morning visit will be done in your groups. Imagine you are a Roman traveller. Using the map of site, you will be asked to find locations and photograph them. (ASSIGNMENT in Notebowl). We will meet at 2 pm at the Doric temple in the triangular forum. In the afternoon we will have a tour led by Dottore Paolo Gardelli. Dinner at Vesuvian 7:30 pm.


Day 13: Free Day Tuesday, May 29

There are lots of options for your free day. You can go to Capri (the most expensive option: ferry 50 Euro round trip, more costs on the Island). You can go Naples or Positano (bus schedule 10 Euro 24h) on the Amalfi coast . Feel free to talk to us about your ideas. Breakfast at Vesuvian at 8 am. Dinner at Vesuvian at 7:30 pm (you must notify me in the morning if you will not attend dinner).

We return to Roma tomorrow, so don’t forget to pack and be ready to leave in the morning


Day 14: Sperlonga Wednesday, May 30

Preparation

  1. Recommended: Read Andy Stewart, “To Entertain an Emperor: Sperlonga, Laokoon and Tiberius at the Dinner-Table” JHS 67 (1977), pp. 76-90 [PDF on Notebowl]

Activities

Breakfast at Vesuvian at 7:30. At 8 am, we will take a Pullman to Rome , with a stop at the amazing Grotto and Museum at Sperlonga. We will then spend 2 hours at the beach (I hope), so bring or wear your swimsuit under your clothes. We will return to Rome and have a final Group Dinner.

Farewell Group Dinner: da Bucatino @ 7:30


Day 15: Departure Day Thursday, May 31

Bus for airport leaves at 8:30 AM