| This course examines the importance of spectacle in Roman culture, from gladitorial combat to political oratory, tragic theatre to comice fierce, military triumph to eroctic mime. Working with literary and archeological sources, students explore the many spaces in the city (Colosseum, forum, circus, temples, even crossroads) where citizens, slaves, and foriegners gathered to see and be seen. Special attention is paid to how Roman spectacles were shaped by the dynamics of Roman history and politics and to how the spectacles shaped Roman society in turn. |
