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Class number:
2957
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Title: Roman Nature and Environment |
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Department: Classical Studies |
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Career: Undergraduate |
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Component: Lecture |
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Session: Regular |
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Instructor's Permission Required: No |
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Grading Basis: Regular |
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Units: 1.00 |
| Enrollment limited to 29 |
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Current enrollment: 27 |
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Available seats: 2 |
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Start date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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End date: Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
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Schedule: TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM, MECC - 246 |
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Instructor(s): Brown, Emily |
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Prerequisite(s): None |
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Distribution Requirement: Meets Humanities and Global Requirements |
Course Description:
In this course, students will analyze approaches to nature, ecology, and the environment within the cultural contexts of ancient Rome. The natural world—the realm of plants, animals, weather, and geological phenomena—was of great interest to Roman artists and authors. Variously depicted as dangerous and antagonistic to humanity and civilization or as an idealized space of comfort and cultural production, the natural world held an ambivalent position in Roman thought, considered both sharply differentiated from and yet vital to human life. As such, nature was central to a number of different realms of Roman culture, which we will analyze in this course: scientific inquiry, sacrificial/religious spaces, philosophical discourses, hunting, dining, and political and dynastic messaging. In addition, student will compare ancient approaches to modern conversations on nature and ecology, including climate and conservation. |