The Ark Before Noah: Deciphering Ancient Mesopotamian Cuneiform
Irving Finkel · 58:19
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed
Eric H. Cline · 1:10:17
The Parts of the Whole
Christine Hayes · 45:46
The Hebrew Bible in Its Ancient Near Eastern Setting: Biblical Religion in Context
Christine Hayes · 46:12
SPQR: Confronting the Myths of Ancient Rome
Mary Beard · 59:57
Introduction to Roman Architecture
Diana E. E. Kleiner · 42:31
Introduction to Roman Architecture
Dunham Professor of History of Art and Classics
This introductory lecture surveys the architectural and urban planning principles of Roman civilization, from early stone structures to concrete masterpieces like the Colosseum and Pantheon, contextualizing their broader impact across the empire.
Professor Kleiner introduces the wide variety of Roman buildings covered in the course and links them with the theme of Roman urbanism. The lecture ranges from early Roman stone construction to such masterpieces of Roman concrete architecture as the Colosseum and Pantheon. Traveling from Rome and Pompeii across the vast Roman Empire, Professor Kleiner stops in such locales as North Africa and Jordan to explore the plans of cities and their individual edifices: temples, basilicas, theaters, amphitheaters, bath complexes, and tombs. The lecture culminates with reference to the impact of Roman architecture on post-antique architectural design and building practice.