Greek and Roman History (320-0-1)

Topic

Constantinople: Monuments, People, Texts

Instructors

Sergey Ivanov

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Constantinople is no more. Officially, it was renamed Istanbul by the Turkish authorities in 1930, but practically, it acquired this name in 1453, when Eastern Roman Empire vanished from the face of the earth. For more than a thousand years, Constantinople remained the largest, wealthiest, and most famous city in the world. The ancient Slavs admiringly called it Tsargrad—"the Emperor-City," while the ancient Scandinavians knew it as Miklagard—"the Great City."
Only scarce remains of Constantinople still protrude here and there in today's Istanbul: no more than a hundred monuments from the Middle Age have survived: churches, aqueducts, walls etc., and in our course, we will certainly explore and discuss them.

After studying the ancient underground reservoirs preserved in modern-day city, we will discuss how water was sourced and used in this unique metropolis, which does not stand on any flowing water.
Looking at the triumphal columns, we will explore the magical beliefs and sorceries associated with them.
Examining the remains of palaces, we will read about the times when court ceremonies required nobles to dance and how many times a day the emperor changed his clothes and what his various garments were.
We will read about taverns and barracks, brothels and prisons, orphanages and monasteries.
But most importantly, by studying texts, we will learn about the people of Constantinople—so different from us, yet in many ways remarkably similar.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-Registration -- Reserved for Classics majors or minors.