Module overview
This module focusses on the city of Rome and its development from its early foundation through to the third century AD. It explores the evidence for one of the most important cities of the ancient world, which at its height was home to approximately a million people. During this time, it developed from a small village to a metropolis, but at the same time, changing social and political structures also resulted in changes to the architecture of the city, at its most radical, changing it from the canvas for elite competition to the playground of the emperors. Roman was a place of large-scale events, whether political, religious, military, or entertainment, carried out in the public space of the city. Space and society were interlinked.
In this module you will examine the development of key areas in the city, such as the Forum Romanum, the imperial fora, the colosseum and temples. You will not only look at the architecture of these, but also the evidence for how they were used. At the same time, you will look at the social and political structures of the city, and how activities such as voting, religious festivals, military triumphs used the public spaces of the city.