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MWF 10:00 AM-11:00, 130 Tappan Hall Hellenistic and Roman
Architecture
From the palaces of Macedonia kings to the Golden House of Nero, and from the Asklepieion of Cos in the Aegean to the temple of Fortune at Palestrina, Hellenistic and Roman architectural styles hold at least three features in common: theatricality, as they both played on the notion of perspective; regionalism, as they adopted, to a lesser or least three features in common: theatricality, as they both played on the notion of perspective; regionalism, as they adopted, to a lesser or greater extent, traits of the regions where the monuments were implanted; and an increasing interest in non-sacred buildings, such as market places, villas and palaces, and bath complexes. Once the properties of cement were fully recognized in the Roman period, architects began experimenting on new shapes and volumes, and the buildings achieved a structural complexity which was inconceivable before. It is these aspects of civilization that we will explore in this class through the examination of hundreds of monuments from different regions. The last two or three sessions will be devoted to the influence of this architecture in modern Europe and the United States, from the Renaissance to the neo-Classical movement and the 20th century. There are no prerequisites for this class, but familiarity with Greek monuments of earlier centuries would certainly be an advantage. Grading will be based on a midterm, a paper, and a final exam. Required text: J.W. Ward-Perkins, ROMAN IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE, (Yale University Press, 1994) (Lolos, Yannis) |
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