Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 290-1"
COURSE NAME: "Ancient Rome and Its Monuments"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Alice Poletto
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: T 9:15 AM 12:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: On-site; activity fee: €40 or $52
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

STUDENTS SHOULD NOT REGISTER FOR BOTH AH 190 and AH 290
Rome City Series - This on-site course considers the art and architecture of ancient Rome through visits to museums and archaeological sites. The course covers the visual culture and architecture of Rome beginning with the Iron Age and ending with the time of Constantine. A broad variety of issues are raised, including patronage, style and iconography, artistic and architectural techniques, Roman religion, business and entertainment.

Satisfies "the Ancient World" core course requirement for Art History majors

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This upper-level survey course engages students in considerations and analyses of the city of ancient Rome that are artistic, historical, political and topographic in nature. As a whole, the course provides an in-depth appreciation of the multifaceted history and character of the ancient city and the context of the world in which it existed.

The on-site format is an opportunity to focus exclusively on the city of Rome and to explore how it was both unlike any other city in the Roman world and acted as a center in the ‘globalized world’ that was the Roman Empire.

With the advantage of the on-site format, emphasis is placed on the visual impact of monuments, artworks and spaces. The aim is not only to gain a deeper understanding of their significance, but in particular to investigate these as dynamic elements in a network of social and political interactions.

Aspects that will inform the course research include:
·     The relationship between the people, the senate and the emperor in the performance of politics in Rome – over time and in diverse contexts (i.e. much more than imperial ‘power’)
·     The reciprocal nature of benefaction and honors, and the manner in which this contributed to establishing and articulating social relationships; this includes the importance of audience and viewership as active participants in visual narratives (i.e. discarding old notions of ‘propaganda’)
·     The city and its urban space as dynamic aspects of civic life – across social classes: how the visual and spatial construct of space intersect with movement and the performativity of citizenship (i.e. architecture is more than a ‘theatrical backdrop to politics’)
·     The inherently international and interconnected character of the ancient Mediterranean world, and how the Roman world may be seen as a globalized world – simultaneously diverse and unified (i.e. discarding old notions of ‘Roman copying of Greek aspects’)

The course discusses the impact of the origins and early history of Rome (from c. 753 BC), but historically focuses on the period from c. 100 BC-AD 300: the late Republic and Empire.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The course will provide students with an in-depth knowledge of key monuments and artworks in Rome of the period in question. The aim is to develop an ability to analyze motives of their creation and reception.

The course will foster a firm understanding of developments and traditions in the history of Rome of the Republican and Imperial periods. The aim to develop an ability to analyze trends and changes in context.

The course will familiarize students with the rhetoric of spaces and styles, and the inherent narrativity of objects, and furnish them with the methodologies to interpret these. The aim is for an awareness of spaces as dynamic stages of social interaction and an understanding of the impact of patronage and viewing.

The course will develop the ability to use relevant historical, art historical and architectural terminology to effect. The aim is to develop an ability to analyze art, architecture and material culture as primary sources

The course will develop powers of expression: Organization of material, contextual and nuanced discussion, focused presentation of data, public speaking and presentation abilities, participation in debates

The course will develop critical thinking and interpretation: Reasoned consideration and evaluation of evidence and methods, interpretation of arguments presented, reflection on context and impact.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Rome. An Oxford Archaeological Guide	Claridge, Amanda	Oxford University Press	9780199546831			Ebook

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Readings and comments	Students are asked to do the assigned readings and watch the assigned videos on Perusall before coming to class. Readings and videos posted on Perusall are part of this assessment method and must be accessed from Moodle through Perusall links. Perusall.com is the online platform where the readings are to be done, and no other ways are accepted for these assignments. Perusall will calculate a grade based on A) the amount of time spent doing active reading; B) if the readings are done on time; C) comments posted about the readings; D) the quality of such comments.	10
Midterm exam	Date TBA. The topics tested will be those of the first half of the semester. It will be made up by two parts: • one testing the student’s factual knowledge (events, date, people etc) using identifications, multiple choices, true-false, etc.; • the other testing the student’s understanding and knowledge of the concepts explained using open questions, essays, etc. More specific details will be given during the semester.	30
Final Exam	Date TBA. The topics tested will be those of the second half of the semester. The format will follow that of the midterm exam. More specific details will be given during the semester. Please, do not make travel plans until the dates of the final exams will be released.	35
Project (one)	The project can take the shape of either a group presentation or a paper. Each presentation-group needs to be of either 3 or 4 students. Project proposals need to be emailed to the professor by the beginning of the 5th class: failure to do so will result in a zero for this whole portion of your final grade. Proposals need to describe both the subject and the format of the project (paper or presentation) with a list of group members). The guidelines are as follow: A) the project needs to be relevant to the topics discussed during the course; B) the project needs to be original (using the same project for more than one class is considered cheating); C) the project needs to be approved by the professor before starting to work on it, D) the project can follow one of the following two formats: a group presentation, or an exploratory paper. Students are welcome to suggest topics they may be interested in. Each presenter will be given 5 minutes, so presentations will be allowed at most 20 minutes. If a student chooses to write a paper, a first draft needs to be emailed to the professor by the end of Week 06. The late submission policy applies only to papers, not to presentations. More detailed guidelines are available on moodle and are integral part of the syllab	15
Participation in class	Participation to class discussion will be evaluated at every class.	10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

You are expected to participate in all scheduled classes. Absences will be noted and may affect your final grade.

All classes will start punctually; late arrival will be noted and may affect your final grade.

Class will take place no matter the weather. Please dress accordingly and appropriately for visiting public sites and museums in the city.

You are responsible for identifying the location of - and route to - the meeting points of the classes. You should calculate around 40-50 minutes travel time to our meeting points. Note that most classes will end at on-site locations different from the meeting point. For bus/subway route planner see www.atac.it.

Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.

Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam: a major exam (midterm or final) cannot be made up without the permission of the Dean’s Office. Permission will be granted only when the absence is caused by a serious impediment or grave situation, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or funeral service for immediate family. Absences due to conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused.

No recording (of any type) of the class is permitted.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Details of further reading suggestions as well as a relevant bibliography for the course will be provided at the start of the semester.
Core bibliographic works for the course include:
Bell, S. and Hansen, I.L. (eds) (2008) Role Models in the Roman World.
Borg, B. (ed.) (2015) A Companion to Roman Art.
Clarke, J.R. (2003) Art in the Lives of Ordinary Romans.
Claridge, A. (2010) Rome. Oxford Archaeological Guide.
Davies, P. (2000) Death and the Emperor.
Ewald, B.C. and Noreña, C.F. (eds) (2010) The Emperor and Rome.
Fejfer, J. (2008) Roman Portraits in Context.
Flower, H.I. (2004) (ed.) Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic.
Galinsky, K. (1996) Augustan Culture.
Jacobs, P.W. II and Conlin, D.A. (2015) Campus Martius. The Field of Mars in the Life of Ancient Rome.
Kleiner, D.E.E. (1992) Roman Sculpture.
Marder, T:A: and Wilson Jones, M. (eds) (2015) The Pantheon from Antiquity to the Present
Wallace-Hadrill, A. (1993) Augustan Rome.
Zanker, P. (1988) The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Meeting places are preliminary: final details with be established at the start of the course

1 - Introduction to the course and to Rome
Themes/works: Course requirements & logistics. Rome: mythological & topographical origins. Tiber Island; Forum Boarium; Circus Maximus; Palatine and Capitoline Hills.
Meeting place: JCU, place TBA
Assigned reading: None

2 - Regal and Republican Rome: foundation and expansion
Themes/works: City foundation; survival of Regal period monuments; Republican period expansion; the military triumph. Forum Romanum (Temples of Vesta, Saturn and Castor); Palatine Hill (Romulus); Capitoline Hill (Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus); Forum Boarium (Round temple; Temple of Portunus); Circus Flaminius area

3 - Republican Rome: competition, honor, display
Themes/works: Rome and the Hellenistic world; display, competition and influence; patronage and civic space.

4 - Pompey, Caesar, Octavian

5 - Augustus: the triumph of peace
Themes/works: The creation of the principate: the princeps as role model; senators as stakeholders in a new order. Campus Martius; Mausoleum of Augustus; Ara Pacis Augustae; Horologium; Pantheon and building works of Agrippa
Meeting place: Entrance to the Ara Pacis Augustae, Piazza Augusto Imperatore (Claridge 2010: fig 77).
Assigned reading:
Claridge 2010: 9-15, 40-43 (history & materials), 197-216, 232-3 (Campus Martius, Augustan monuments); Schneider 2008: 270-8 (Augustan Rome); Stewart 2008: 108-9, 113-15 (Ara Pacis)

6 - Late Republic to Imperial Rome: portraits of power
Themes/works: Republican and imperial portraiture: politics, honor and international relations; Augustan painted interiors. Republican works: veristic portraiture, statue of general from Tivoli; Imperial works: Augustan and Vespasianic portraiture; statue of Augustus from Via Labicana; Garden painting from Prima Porta; Villa Farnesina paintings
Meeting Place: Entrance to Palazzo Massimo Museum, Piazza dei Cinquecento (near Termini station / Piazza Republica) (Claridge 2010: fig 180).
Assigned reading:
Claridge 2010: 12-18 (History); Kleiner 1992: 7-11, 31-40 (Republican), 59-69, 75-78 (Augustan), 171-9 (Flavian); Schneider 2008: 279-84 (the Augustan image)

7 - Mid-term exam and discussion of individual project
Themes: Source evaluation, reference use, bibliographic formatting
Meeting place: JCU

8 - Nero and the Flavians: the emperor and Rome
Themes/works: Articulating imperial status in Rome: positive and negative role models; urban space and the engagement of senate and plebs.

9 - Trajan and Hadrian: the emperor and the Empire
Themes/works: Articulating the role of emperor: head of empire or co-regent of Jupiter; depictions of war and non-Romans; culture and cosmopolitan outlook.

10 - The Antonines: ruling a secure world
Themes/works: Depictions of war and peace; commemoration and dynastic policies.

11 - The Severans: making a new Rome
Themes/works: Depicting dynasty and history; reconstructing Roman / making a new Rome; water and popular luxury; popular participation in imperial messages.

12 - The Palatine: the imperial headquarters in Rome.
Themes/works: Portraiture and imperial identity; being Roman, acting Greek; values and morals. Portraiture: Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Constantine; Equestrian statue of M. Aurelius; panel reliefs of M. Aurelius; Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina
Meeting Place: Piazza Campidoglio, statue of M. Aurelius (Claridge 2010: fig 109)
Assigned reading:
Claridge 2010: 18-29 (history), 111-13 (Temple of Antoninus); Kleiner 1992: 267-80 (Antonine portraits), 288-95 (reliefs of M. Aurelius), 319-25 (Severan portraits), 438-41 (Constantine).

13 - The Roman Forum from the foundation of Rome to the fall of the Empire

13 - Review class
Overview and discussion of course content
Meeting Place: JCU, place to be established

14 - Final exam
Meeting place: Date, time and place to be announced