| Description: | This course presents a survey of the extraordinarily rich civilizations that thrived in Italy and the Mediterranean from the 8th century BCE to the 5th century CE. Through colonization of southern Italy and other forms of contact (e.g. trade, war, cultural exchange), the Greeks had a fundamental impact on both the Etruscans of central Italy and their conquerors, the Romans. The course investigates the political, social, cultural and religious dimensions of these civilizations, engaging with surviving literature, art and architecture to help students understand the ancient peoples, values and lifestyles that lie at the heart of the modern Western experience. The location of the course in Tuscania provides students with the unique opportunity to explore first-hand a number of Etruscan burial sites and the treasures that have been uncovered there. |