The Topography and Monuments of Athens

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course offers a comprehensive overview of the topography, archaeology and history of Athens from the earliest prehistoric settlement through to the demise of the city in Late Antiquity, but focuses particularly on the monuments and culture of the Arch aic to Roman periods. Classes are taught on - site and cover all the major (and many minor) sites around Athens, giving a complete picture of the ancient city in its urban, social, religious, and historical contexts. One of the main aims of the course is to investigate how an understanding of the physical fabric of Athens can inform important historical questions about Athenian Democracy, Empire, religion, and political and social life. The course will also place Athenian sites and monuments into their modern setting, exploring the discovery of ancient Athens from the earliest modern travelers in the 15th century AD, to the origins of scientific excavations in the 19th century, and will look at how ancient Athens is being excavated and preserved today.