The Muse and the Machine: The Arts, Technology and Society in Graeco-Roman Antiquity

What role do the arts play in society? What power does technology hold on the people who devise, create, and use it? This course thinks through these big questions as they pertain to ancient Greece and Rome. We explore the creative processes of Greco-Roman society, the outcomes of these creative enterprises, and the people involved in making and creating in the ancient world. From blowing glass, spinning pottery and casting bronze statues, to strumming the lyre, staging a tragedy, and devising ancient automata, students will gain an understanding of the processes and societal functions of the arts and technology in ancient Greece and Rome. Fundamental to this topic are questions surrounding the ambivalence of attitudes towards technical pursuits (techne) in antiquity, the status of craftspeople, and the potential of the arts both to reflect and to shape societal values. Various hands-on components—including physical engagement with ancient objects and off-site excursions to explore manufacturing techniques—make this course especially exciting for students from different disciplinary backgrounds. Students with a particular interest in the processes of making arts and technology will have the opportunity to respond to the content of the course by producing, devising, or inventing a creative work of their own.