{"id":37534,"date":"2021-07-14T08:32:02","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T12:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=37534"},"modified":"2021-08-10T08:17:24","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T12:17:24","slug":"back-in-history-courses-examine-ancient-roman-and-greek-cultures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2021\/07\/back-in-history-courses-examine-ancient-roman-and-greek-cultures\/","title":{"rendered":"Past Becomes Present: Courses examine ancient Roman culture and Greek language"},"content":{"rendered":"

What did Romans living in about 75 A.D. do for fun besides watching men slice themselves to shreds in gladiatorial combat?<\/p>\n

Ancient Greeks had several versions of the word \u201clove.\u201d You might say one version to your wife, but you certainly wouldn\u2019t use that version with your mom.<\/p>\n

In both societies, what did they eat for dinner? What laws did they have to obey to avoid arrest?<\/p>\n

Those questions, concepts and more will be explored in two fall semester courses at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\u2014\u201cEveryday Life in the Roman Empire\u201d and \u201cElementary Greek I.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When in Rome<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Josh Davies<\/p><\/div>\n

These days, graffiti on walls is a pretty common sight, but you also could find it 2,000 years ago on the walls of Rome.<\/p>\n

Obviously, it wasn\u2019t created with spray paint, but Romans still had things to say that might not be permittable in polite society or that might even get you in seriously trouble or arrested.<\/p>\n

Graffiti is just one of many ways to understand ancient Roman society and one of the sources used in \u201cEveryday Life in the Roman Empire,\u201d said instructor Josh Davies, head of the UTC Department of Modern and Classical Literature and Languages.<\/p>\n

The course will examine Roman culture as it stood roughly\u00a0 between 30 B.C. and 120 A.D. \u201cThe evidence is so rich\u201d from that era, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which are like time capsules buried and preserved in volcanic ash. In addition, this is a time when everyday life became a special topic of interest for Roman writers, themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The writings of poet Martial and philosopher Pliny the Elder discussed Rome\u2019s social life, its politics, even the hobbies of its people, Davies explained.<\/p>\n

Beyond those, there are other sources such as satirical poems, comedies, archeological remains, legal document and artistic works and, yes, graffiti.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, we have an amazing body of evidence for the way people lived during this phase of the Roman Empire,\u201d said Davies. \u201cWe have evidence of a rich diversity of identities, cultures, aspirations, lifestyles and experiences within Roman imperial society. It is a complex world that raises important questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

While connecting ancient Roman life to today\u2019s society might seem like a stretch, lessons learned in the course cross a broad range, he said:<\/p>\n