A spectacle of murder and mysterious omens crafted the foundation stories of ancient Rome.  A city founded on bloodshed, civil strife, and crime seems an unlikely future setting for a great empire. But later Romans who lived during the time of the Empire appear to have reconciled the legends of their violent past with their current political and social milieu of peace and prosperity.  But what was the price they paid for this reconciliation?  How does this reconciliation affect Roman literature, history, and material culture?
 This course will explore the interconnections between place, literature, and Roman cultural identity.  We will look at the early foundation stories of Rome and examine how Rome’s past shaped the Romans’ perception of history and literature. By examining the tensions between the stories of Rome’s legendary past and its history during the empire, we will learn how the Romans created an ethos of virtue and honor from their humble yet violent beginnings. We will investigate how this ethos sharply contrasted with the realities of living during the time of the Roman Empire.
During the course of the semester, students will have the opportunity to do close readings of significant Roman literary and historical texts and explore Roman material culture.  Emphasis will be placed on writing about and interpreting the past.

Jennifer A. Rea is an Assistant Professor of Classics at UF.  She received her Ph.D. in Classical Philology from the University of Wisconsin and her M.A. from Indiana University.  Her areas of specialty are Augustan Age Literature and Roman Topography.  She is currently writing a book on color imagery and cultural identity in Augustan Rome.