Day Twelve

On the Original Campus

Campus Martius (Field of MarS)

We visited the campus Martius on Day Seven. Then we imagined it as a wide open space being transformed by Augustus. It was named the “Field of Mars” because here the Roman army trained right outside the boundaries of the city. It was also in the republic where the Romans gathered in archaic military formation to imbue their highest magistrates with imperium, the power to act nearly unilaterally on behalf of the whole of the Roman people. Today, we visit it as a major center of religious and political activity, as well as official commemoration under the principate. This space later became the medieval heart of the city. We end our day with some gelato by this fountain in front of the Pantheon.

Syllabus

Readings

Claridge: select portions of Field of Mars; Alive! chapter 9.

Solo Presentation Topics

Presentation Guidelines

(a) Who was Cardinal Ludovico Ludovici and why is his art collection important still today?

(b) How did the Romans imagine their defeated enemies and celebrate them in their Art? You may focus your presentation on pieces from the Ludovici collection, OR the decorative plan of the temple of Hadrian, OR the column of Marcus Aurelius. (up to three students may choose this topic)

(d) Why was the worship of Isis specifically in the city of Rome both popular and controversial?

Logistics

We start at the museum at opening and then take a walking tour of key sites.

Museo Altemps

Della Palma – more than 100 Gelato Flavors!

THemes

Reuse, replication and display; the power of words: magic and beyond; revisiting lists and the protohistoric past (re-enforcing themes previously met at the Capitoline Museum and the Villa Guilia).

Blog Prompt

Blogging expectations

Focus your post on just one museum object or at most two (say a compare/contrast). What about it reminded you of things we’ve seen earlier on the trip and why? Does it speak to any of the following themes: militarism, the role of women, the role of religion, social hierarchies, other themes. Choose a different theme than yesterday’s blog post.