(An ancient street map of the city of Rome, preserved on marble)

The Ancient City: Athens, Pompeii and Berlin

The Course: Cities have traditionally been the catalyst to political, cultural, scientific and economic development. In this course we will look at the experiences of three cities. Ancient Athens formed the model for the "golden age" which has characterized the highest achievement of western cities; Pompeii offers an example of "everyday" life in the prosperous world of the Roman Empire; Berlin in the 20th century had a urban experiece that was both distinctive in its own right and yet also characteristic of what many other European cities experienced. We will devote about a third of the course to each of these cities.

Course books and readings:

• Otto Friedrich. Before the Deluge, A Portrait of Berlin
• Bruce Thornton. Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization
• Paul Zanker. Pompeii: Public and Private Life

There is a great deal of overlap between the books in terms of their basic themes. Nonetheless, they follow somewhat different patterns, and you may find the differences more interesting than the similarities. Thorton attempts to relate the Greek/Athenian experience directly to contemporary US. You probably will not agree with everything he writes, but he does raise interesting issues. Zanker, an art historian with a strong historical background, focuses on the civic "space" and how that space reflects the values of an otherwise middle size city in the pre-modern world. Friedrich, who wrote his book at the height of the Cold War and when the city was the symbol of the East-West conflict, focuses cultural achievement in the context of political chaos.

Expectations: This course is designed as a "seminar" (the course is limited to 25 students). I do expect students to come prepared and ready to discuss the material. Each student will be expected to lead the discussion of an assigned theme once during the term. There is no midterm, but there will be a final exam. A paper (6-8 pages) on the characteristics of a city of your choice (selected with my approval) is due on the last day of class. I expect each student to identify his/her paper topic and to make a brief presentation in class on 16 October. I have also planned the course so that you have considerable time after 20 November to work on the paper. I will provide a more detailed assignment by Tuesday, 2 October.

Schedule and Assignments: