KLA_009 Roman Architecture and Urbanism from an Archaeological Perspective

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Jan Jílek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Pavel Vavřín, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Jan Jílek, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
KLA_001 Introduction to Class. Arch.
Basic knowledge of the Greek and Roman architecture in the extent of the course KLA_001 - Introduction to Classical Archaeology is obligated, accomplishment of the couse KLB_107 Greek architecture and urbanism is convenient.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to provide the students with an overview of the development of the Roman architecture and settlements from its beginning till the late antiquity. Try to describe not only formal representative architecture of Rome, but also with selected architectonical monuments of the whole Italy and the Roman provinces, which represented the essential structure and formal display of Roman civilization. Another aim of the course is to present to the students principal construction technologies, methods, used materials and architectural orders. but also There are three basic chronological phases in the development: republican architecture, architecture of the Roman empire and of the late antiquity. The students will become familiar with the principal categories of Roman architecture and settlement structure. Last not least students will be able to understand characteristic features of the Roman citiy, its infrastructure and urbanism.
Learning outcomes
After successfull passing the course, students will be able to:
- Identify and summarize important features of the Roman architecture and urbanism
- Describe the Roman settlemnet and its architecture from an archaeological perspective
- Apply acquired knowledge about the architecture and urbanism of Roman settlements on the next study
- Analyze current scientific knowledge in the Archeology of the Roman settlement
Syllabus
  • 1. An Introduction
  • 2. Emergence and development of the cities in ancient Italy
  • 3. Unification of the city under Romans and Roman conception of urbanisation
  • 4. Basic construction technologies, used materials, building styles and architectual orders
  • 5. Infrastructure of the Roman city on the basis of fundamental archaeological sites (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia)
  • 6.-7. Development of individual building types (eg. sacral architecture, theater and amphitheater, baths, living buildings, technical buildings etc.)
  • 8.-9. Development of Roman settlement structures (rural, farming and economic)
  • 10. Representative cities in Roman provinces and their distinctiveness
  • 11. The city transformation between late antiquity and Middle Ages
  • 12. Importance and significance of the Roman city phenomenon
Literature
    recommended literature
  • CORNELL, Tim. The beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC). London: Routledge, 1995.
  • DEY, H. W. The Afterlife of the Roman City. Architecture and Ceremony in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
  • MAC DONALD, W. L. The Architecture oft the Roman Empire. An Introduction Study I. New Haven, 1982. info
  • VON HESBERG, Henner. Römische Baukunst. München: Beck, 2005. info
  • LAURENCE, Ray, A. S. ESMONDE CLEARY and Gareth SEARS. The city in the Roman West, c. 250 BC - c. AD 250. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011, xiv, 355. ISBN 9780521701402. info
  • Města, která utvářela starověký svět. Edited by John Julius Norwich, Translated by Jana Šimonová - Kateřina Zerzán. Vydání první. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2016, 240 stran. ISBN 9788074296949. info
  • The city in late antiquity. Edited by John Rich. New York: Routledge, 1992, x, 204 p. ISBN 0415144310. info
Teaching methods
lectures with images (PPT) presentation, class discussion about actual topics
Assessment methods
active participation, written examination and consequent oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 0.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/KLA_009