Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 190-5"
COURSE NAME: "Cities, Towns & Villas: Rome, Ostia, Pompeii"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Alberto Prieto
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: W9:15 AM 12:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: On-site; mandatory trip; activity fee: €40 or $52
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT REGISTER FOR BOTH AH190 and AH290
Rome, Ostia and Pompeii are three of the best- preserved archaeological sites in the world. Through their study, we are able to comprehend the physical and social nature of Roman cities and how they transformed over the course of centuries. We explore the subjects of urban development, public and private buildings, economic and social history, and art incorporated into urban features (houses, triumphal monuments, etc.). In Rome, we focus primarily upon public buildings commissioned by Senators and Emperors: temples, law courts, theaters, triumphal monuments, baths. In Ostia, the port-city of Rome, we are able to experience many aspects of daily life: commerce, housing, religion, entertainment. Pompeii represents a well-to-do Republican and early Imperial period city that was influenced by the Greeks and Romans and preserves some of the most magnificent frescoes in the world.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The majority of the course will by necessity focus on Rome, where we will follow a physical and intellectual route that straddles the chronological and topographical (location-based) sequences. We will begin by learning the basic outlines of settlement in prehistoric Italy (and the Mediterranean basin generally) as dictated by considerations of geography, geology, and hydrology. From there we will ponder the early urbanization of Rome under the leadership of the kings and the aristocratic senate, while Rome acquired mastery of the Italian peninsula and then the western Mediterranean, before moving on to the city’s spectacular metamorphosis into a world capital under the guidance of prominent aristocrats and emperors upon attaining control of the eastern Mediterranean. Along the way we will discuss building materials and types, decorative elements and styles, urban spaces, and infrastructure in the context of typical social, religious, political, military, and economic activities involving ancient people of all age ranges, social classes, genders, and ethnic origins. We will study how the Romans, individually and collectively, used their city as a living laboratory for the construction and transmission of their identity and the preservation of historical memory, and we will learn to distinguish between elements borrowed from other cultures and innovations introduced by the Romans themselves. We will apply these same concepts to Pompeii and Ostia Antica, two cities with very different histories, looking for points of comparison and contrast with each other and Rome.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

As a result of this course, the student will understand how the cities of Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia Antica originated, developed, and changed in the context of Italic, Roman, and broader Mediterranean history between ca. 1500 BC and AD 600. The student will be able to explain the origins, developments, and changes in terms of physical setting, available resources, and internal and external cultural factors representing real and specific human needs and desires. The student will also be able to describe and identify the relative contributions of ancient literature, history, art history, architecture, and archaeology to our understanding of the appearance, function/purpose, and development of both specific sites/monuments and the city as a whole.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Assignment 1	Assignment 1 is a brief research project relating the most important facts/details about, and the overall significance of, a site or monument in the Roman Forum (date of creation, creator, materials, notable associated events and personalities, etc.) within the context of Roman history, art and architecture, and economic, social, and urban history. For Assignment 1 the student will 1. compose a brief written summary (minimum 2 double-spaced typed pages of text) of the research to be submitted to the instructor via Moodle or e-mail, and 2. make a brief presentation of the research on-site. The individual topics for Assignment 1 will be assigned in the third week of the course. The instructor will provide guidance on research sources and expected contents. The paper and presentation for Assignment 1 will be evaluated on 1. the quality and depth of the research and 2. the clarity of the delivery, both written and oral.	10
Assignment 2	Assignment 2 is an analytical exercise comparing and contrasting Pompeii and Ostia Antica.	10
Assignment 3	Assignment 3 is an analytical exercise based on the Regionary Catalogs, two lists of the structures in Rome compiled around AD 354.	10
mid-term exam	The mid-term exam tests the student's knowledge and comprehension of the material studied in the first half of the course.	25
final exam	The final exam tests the student's cumulative knowledge and comprehension of the material studied in the course.	35
participation	The student's presence in the class sessions is essential for learning the material taught in the course.	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:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
As the material covered in the course is cumulative in nature, students are expected to attend every class session, including the two field trips. However, there may be days over the course of the semester in which students are sick or otherwise indisposed. Students are allowed to miss one of the ten scheduled class sessions or one of the two field trips without question or penalty, although students who miss a class or field trip are required to understand the material covered in their absence. The University does not require medical certificates for routine illnesses causing minor absences from regular class meetings. Every subsequent absence from class not substantiated by a valid excuse will result in a loss of 2 points from the 10-point participation component of the course, equivalent to 2% of the final course grade. Personal travel is never considered a valid excuse for missing class.
Students 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 the student 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 December 15.

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

Weekly Schedule

All readings beyond the textbooks and required texts are links to ebooks and articles available for free via the JCU Frohring Library.

Because each of the mandatory field trips to Pompeii and Ostia Antica counts as two class sessions, 4 of the available 14 class sessions will not be utilized (marked as NO CLASS).

Week 1 1/21 Course introduction

Meeting point: classroom 8:30

Week 2 1/28 Origins, history, geology and geography of Rome

Meeting point: Tiber Island, in front of Church of St. Bartolomeo

Visits: Tiber River and Tiber Island; Aventine, Palatine, and Capitoline Hills; Velabrum; Sant’Omobono sacred area; Forum Boarium; Roman Forum; Circus Maximus

Readings: Coarelli 1-9, 29-47, 131-133, 307-313; Aicher §1-3, 9-10, 12-21, 58-59, 111-112; Claridge 4-38

G. Heiken, R. Funiciello, and D. De Rita, The Seven Hills of Rome. A Geological Tour of the Eternal City. Princeton: Princeton University Press 2007. Ch. 1

D. P. Crouch, Geology and Settlement: Greco-Roman Patterns. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2003. Chs. 1, 2, and 7

C. Smith, “Early and Archaic Rome”

Week 3 2/4 Republican Rome; the triumph & triumphal route

Meeting point: Largo Argentina, next to the tower

Visits: Largo Argentina, Circus Flaminius, Temples of Apollo & Bellona, Tiber Island & bridges, Porticus of Metellus, Forum Holitorium, Roman Forum, Theaters of Pompey and Marcellus

Readings: Coarelli 261-272, 275-285, 313-321, 348-350, 537-540; Aicher §11, 81, 85-87, 98-99, 101-110, 113, 115-117, 119-120; Claridge 39-60; Aldrete Ch. 5

Week 4 2/11 From Republic to Empire – Assignment 1

Meeting point: Piazza del Campidoglio

Visits: Roman Forum

Readings: Coarelli 47-99; Aldrete Ch. 4

A. J. Ammerman, “On the Origins of the Forum Romanum,” American Journal of Archaeology 94.4 (1990): 627-645.

Week 5 2/18 Augustan Campus Martius

Meeting point: Theater of Marcellus

Visits: Theaters of Pompey and Marcellus, Porticus of Octavia, Baths of Agrippa, meridian, Pantheon, Mausoleum of Augustus, Ara Pacis

Readings: Coarelli 285-286, 299-304; Aicher §88, 94-96; Aldrete Ch. 7

S. Walker, “The Moral Museum: Augustus and the City of Rome”

D. Favro, “Making Rome a World City” in K. Galinsky (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Augustus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2005.

Week 6 2/25 Capital of Empire; review for mid-term exam

Meeting point: Piazza del Campidoglio

Visits: Imperial Forums, Palatine hill, Colosseum valley

Readings: Coarelli 103-128, 133-156, 177-190; Aicher §73-80, 60-65, 66-69; Aldrete Ch. 11

Week 7 3/4 mid-term exam 8:30-9:45

Meeting point: classroom

Week 8 3/11 Spring Break NO CLASS

3/16 Mid-term grade warnings issued

Week 9 3/18 NO CLASS (in lieu of Pompeii trip)

Week 10 3/25 Imperial Campus Martius

Meeting point: Largo Argentina, next to the tower

Visits: Pantheon, Temple of Divine Hadrian, Column of Marcus Aurelius, Stadium of Domitian, Mausoleum of Hadrian/Castel Sant’Angelo

Readings: Coarelli 286-299, 360-362; Aicher §89-93, 97; Aldrete Ch. 10

J. DeLaine, “Building the Eternal City: The Construction Industry of Imperial Rome”

Week 11 4/1 NO CLASS (in lieu of Pompeii trip)

Week 12

W 4/8 NO CLASS (in lieu of Ostia Antica trip)

F 4/10 Pompeii

Meeting point: Piazza Trilussa 6:50

Readings: Aldrete Ch. 14

Pompeii Archaeological Park official guidebook in English: pp. 8-9, 16, 20, 25, 27, 30-32, 34-35, 38-39, 56, 59-60, 66, 74-77, 83-88, 91-95, 97-98, 105-106, 110-115, 117

A. Wallace-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1994. Chs. 1-3

S 4/11 Ostia Antica

Meeting point: Porta S. Paolo train station, in the entrance foyer 8:30

Readings: Coarelli 451-476; Aldrete Chs. 12-13

Internet Group Ostia website: www.ostia-antica.org

Introduction

Guidebook in English

D. J. Mattingly and G. S. Aldrete, “The Feeding of Imperial Rome: The Mechanics of the Food Supply System”

Week 13 4/15 NO CLASS (in lieu of Ostia Antica trip)

Assignment 2 due

Week 14 4/22 Entertainment and leisure

Meeting point: Piazza del Colosseo, near Colossus base