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Modules

Art in Roman Society (CLA3114)

15 credits

For a long time, in scholarship, it was doubted whether there was such a thing as ‘Roman Art’ at all; the visual culture produced during the Roman period  was largely seen as a derivative phenomenon, merely the result of copying from Greek ‘originals’. However, this view has changed over the past decades, and the creativity and innovation of Roman artists and the essential role art played in Roman social life, religion, and politics have become apparent. The Romans were fully aware of the impact that the visual had on its viewers, and used it for a multitude of purposes. This module will look at a range of different forms of art (including sculpture, wall painting, luxury items, and architecture), and a range of different contexts in which art was used and displayed such as public spaces, houses and villas, tombs, and sanctuaries. We shall discuss what art meant to the Romans, what its relationship with Greek art was, and how the study of Roman art can help the modern historian to better understand Roman ideologies and value systems.