Department of Classical Studies

Though movies and novels often focus on the city of Rome, the majority of Romans actually lived outside of Italy. What did their lives look like? In this course, we will focus on the material remains of life on the fringes of the Roman Empire, from Syria to Britannia to Noricum, as a way to think through how diverse groups of people responded to Roman rule. We’ll look at how cities were founded and changed over time, the ways that people dressed and ate, and the types of art and monuments that people produced as they adapted to life in the Empire. We will ask big questions about cultural change, local persistence, violence, and identity. Students will also gain familiarity with scholarly debates surrounding the Roman provinces, including questions of borderlands, Hellenization, Romanization, and resistance.