Juno: The Original Diva

Juno was the queen supreme of Rome's gods, the wife of philandering Jupiter, and the mother of Mars, god of war. It was Queen Juno who guaranteed the constant imperial triumph of Rome --a ruthless conqueror of nations-- and who safeguarded and preserved both marriage and Rome's Republic. This course explores constructions of and attitudes towards divinity, gender, war, conquest, and family. Case studies include the destruction and religious plundering of both Etruscan Veii and Hannibal's Carthage, from the perspectives of both conqueror and conquered. Interdisciplinary in nature, course materials will include literature, art, architecture, archaeology, and comparative religious studies.