Rediscovering Roman Greece: The phrase “Greco-Roman civilization” implies that these two empires make up one whole. Did the Romans indeed just copy the Greeks, giving new names to old gods? Did they conquer and assimilate? Did the emperors convince the Greeks they were gods themselves? Using archaeological sites in Athens (such as the Roman Agora, the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium) as well as ancient sources and other material culture, this course will explore the long history and interaction between these two empires, from their initial contacts to the spread of the Roman territory across the Greek-speaking Eastern Mediterranean. We will take a holistic approach, investigating the primary social, religious, economic and cultural institutions of both worlds. The “Roman era of occupation” is one of the most overlooked periods in Greek history, but as this course seeks to demonstrate, it eventually had a profound impact on the subsequent course of social and political development in the wider Mediterranean region and Europe.

Learning outcomes/objectives
– To provide students with a historical overview of the interaction between these two states and civilizations and within it, of the history of the Eastern Mediterranean throughout antiquity.
– To familiarize students with the main workings of Roman provincial political, social and economic institutions.
– To acquaint students with the main aspects of Graeco-Roman cultural, religious and intellectual norms.
– An examination of the artistic and architectural developments that took place during this period, through the on-site visits of Roman monuments in Athens.