an interdisciplinary program in engineering and classics
ME
105/CLA 213/ITA 159/AH189
ROMAN STRUCTURES: ENGINEERING IN
THE CLASSICAL
WORLD
INSTRUCTOR
Prof. RENATO PERUCCHIO
University of Rochester - Department of Mechanical Engineering
Hopeman 415, Rochester NY 14627
tel. 585 275 4069, e-mail: rlp@me.rochester.edu
Teaching Research
ROMAN STRUCTURES: ENGINEERING IN THE CLASSICAL WORLD is an introductory interdisciplinary course for students in the humanities and the social sciences as well as in engineering.
The course examines the practice of engineering in ancient Rome and focuses primarily on civil engineering structures including topics in mechanics, hydraulics and materials. Modern theories in structural mechanics and strength of materials are employed to analyze in a qualitative way the practice, the achievements, and the limitations of Roman engineering. Central to the course is an extended stay in Rome, Italy where major buildings and monumental structures will be studied.
The course is completely self-contained and assumes no previous background in engineering beyond high school level physics and algebra (calculus is NOT used in the course). While open to all, the course promises to be especially rewarding for students with an interest in the history of engineering and technology, as well as in architecture, art history, classical history and archaeology.
COURSE TOPICS
MAJOR MONUMENTS
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
TEXTBOOKS
COURSE CREDITS & CLUSTERS
COURSE TOPICS
- introduction to the Roman Empire
- the architect/engineer in Roman society
- mechanics and strength of materials
- Roman concrete
- power and energy sources
- development of structural form in antiquity
- foundations and walls
- arches, domes, and vaults
- building and manufacturing techniques
- construction machines
- bridges
- aqueducts
- baths
- roads
- public, private, and ceremonial buildings
- harbors
- system engineering in Roman times
- achievements of Roman enginers
MAJOR MONUMENTS TO BE STUDIED ON LOCATION (tentative)
- Imperial Fora (In particular: Basilica Ulpia and Trajan column)
- Markets of Trajan
- Republican Forum
- Imperial residential complex on the Palatine and the Circus Maximus
- Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum)
- Domus Aurea of Nero
- Pantheon and the Mausoleum of Hadrian
- Baths of Caracalla
- Baths of Diocletian
- Aqueducts at Porta Maggiore and at Roma Antica
- Aurelian Walls and city gates
- Bridges on the Tiber
- Ostia Antica
- Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli
- Dome of Saint Peter
- Basilica of Saint Paul outside the walls
OTHER RELEVANT MONUMENTS TO BE VISITED
(tentative)
- Siena: the unfinished cathedral
- Florence: Brunelleschi's dome
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Participation
to the field study in Italy
(July 27 - August 17, 2008).
- Attend all lectures, site visits, and field work sessions in Italy (active participation required).
- Preliminary
reading assignments.
- Midterm exam (in Rome).
- Term paper (part 1 due in Rome, part 2 due November 2008).
TEXTBOOKS
- Amanda Claridge. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide. Oxford University Press, 1998.
- Chester
Starr. The Ancient Romans.
Oxford University Press, 1971.
- J.B.
Ward-Perkins. Roman Imperial
Architecture. Pelican History
of Art. Penguin Books, 1981.
- Robert
Mark (Editor). Architectural
Technology up to the Scientific Revolution. The MIT Press, 1993. (Selected chapters).
- Jean-Pierre Adam. Roman Building: Materials and Techniques.
Indiana University Press, 1994. (Selected chapters).
COURSE CREDITS & CLUSTERS
- Students enroll in ME105 ROMAN
STRUCTURES: ENGINEERING IN THE CLASSICAL WORLD (also
Classics CLA
213/Italian ITA159/Art History AH189) as part of their Fall 2008 course
schedule.
- Four credits of fall course work will be granted to students who complete all parts of the program, including the mandatory program in Italy (July 27 - August 17, 2008)
- ME 105/CLA 213/ ITA 159/ AH 189 may be applied towards a Humanities Cluster in the Classical Tradition or towards minors in Italian, Art History, and Mechanical Engineering. Students have also included this course in several special clusters.