Ancient Paris: Monuments, Museums, Magnificence

(same as FRENCH 4760; cross-leveled with AMS 7760). In this course, we will explore the native Roman antiquities of Paris and the subsequent fascination with Greco-Roman art, myth, military history, and dance in the visual and performing arts of medieval and modern Paris. Our inherently ancient topics will include the cultural fusion of Roman gods with the Gallic gods worshipped by the city’s indigenous inhabitants the Parisii, and the transformation of bathing practices and facilities in Paris’ Gallo-Roman precursor Lutetia. Our study of the reception of Greco-Roman material culture, myth, and history in medieval and modern Paris will include the incorporation of mythology into the imagery of Merovingian and Carolingian royal burials (Childeric I’s tomb and the Proserpina sarcophagus associated with Charlemagne’s remains) and Napoleon’s utilization of Greco-Roman descriptions and images of military conquest. Our performative topics will include the Ballet comique de la Reine, which is a politicized adaptation of the myth of the Greek hero Odysseus’ affair with the witch goddess Circe, the Ballet royal de la Nuit, which literally starred Louis XIV the Sun King portraying a solar interpretation of the Greek god Apollo, and the productions of the Ballets Russes company that were inspired by ancient Greek myth and gesture, especially Vatslav Nijinsky’s choreographically innovative and scandalous masterpiece The Afternoon of a Faun. Graded on A-F basis only. Prerequisites: In order to be enrolled in this course, students must first submit an application on the Study Abroad International Programs website. Freshmen are welcome to apply.