Roman Architecture and Urbanism

(cross-leveled with AMS 7440). This course offers an in-depth examination of the history of Roman architecture, illustrating its origin and the development of forms and techniques. Students will analyze major monuments ranging from intact buildings such as the Pantheon in Rome, to engineering marvels such as the Roman aqueducts of southern Spain, to the marble cities of North Africa and the Middle East. On this basis, they will explore topics crucial to the urban development of Rome as an imperial capital and evaluate patterns of diffusion, adaptation, and at times rejection of Roman architectural ideas in relation to the indigenous traditions of the peoples conquered by the Romans, reflecting on the relevance of the subject matter for contemporary issues and concerns. Graded on A-F basis only. Recommended: AMS 1140; AMS 3410.