Description
[Juniors and seniors only; Seminar; Ancient/Medieval] From the Colosseum to the grand imperial palaces in Rome, nearly all of the best-known ancient Roman monuments were created for elite members of Roman society. However, the vast majority of people living within the Roman Empire were neither wealthy nor of high social status. This seminar will examine the art and archaeology of non-elite Romans, some of whom were considered infames, or those without legal status. In studying infames (including gladiators and actors) alongside other types of non-elite Romans (freed[wo]men and the enslaved), we will work to better understand the multiplicity of identities and experiences that existed throughout the Empire. Although the existing material record of non-elite Romans is far less robust than that of elite Romans, we will examine art historical and archaeological evidence to underscore the important contributions of non-elite individuals, debate the visibility of non-elite individuals in art, and explore the question of what it meant to be Roman.