48
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Taking on the Other Side of History
The past comes alive when you consider the imaginary lives of ordinary people—the citizens, soldiers, and slaves who lived on the other side of history. In this course, you’ll ask questions that many textbooks never ask.
1.
Taking on the Other Side of History
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25.
Being a Roman Soldier
Find out what daily life was like for a Roman soldier, from the training to engagement on the battlefield. You’ll discover how the army was structured, what benefits you could expect, and what would happen if you were disobedient. Finally, you’ll explore what you’d do when you were not fighting—likely constructing the Roman road system.
25.
Being a Roman Soldier
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2.
Being Paleolithic
What does it mean to be human? Take a look at the lives of our ancestors, from ancient hominids to Homo erectus to the earliest humans. Picture yourself as a Neanderthal, whose life was dominated by the environment, and discover the significance of the human mind, language, and art in the Old Stone Age.
2.
Being Paleolithic
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26.
Being a Roman Woman
As in ancient Greek society, a Roman woman lived on the other side of history under the domination of the paterfamilias—most likely her father or husband—yet examples of love letters and poems offer evidence that loving marriages did exist. This lecture explores wedding rituals, the complexity of Roman women’s roles in society, and how opportunities for women differed based on class status.
26.
Being a Roman Woman
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3.
Living in Mesopotamia
Step into the world’s earliest permanent settlement—the river banks in Mesopotamia. The development of agriculture was a revolution because it allowed humans to live permanently in one place, which led to the invention of writing, the creation of laws, an increase in trade, and technological innovations such as the wheel.
3.
Living in Mesopotamia
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27.
Being a Poor Roman
Put yourself into the world of Rome’s plebian class. This lecture takes you to the leaky, rat-infested housing where the urban poor suffered from disease and malnutrition, and you’ll experience the threat of fire that hung over Rome in the 1st century A.D. You’ll also get a glimpse of what sustained the day-to-day life of the poor.
27.
Being a Poor Roman
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4.
Being Egyptian
What was it like to be an ancient Egyptian? Travel to the world’s first Western civilization and explore everyday life during the New Kingdom era. You’ll learn about the richness of the Nile, the conservatism and stability of the society, and relics that have survived across millennia—hieroglyphics, papyri, art, and more.
4.
Being Egyptian
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28.
Being a Rich Roman
Now check out the lives of the rich. You’ll tour the grand house in the city and the countryside, learn about the customs of dress, food, and hygiene, and follow a rich Roman around for the day—complete with doting clients who make him seem important.
28.
Being a Rich Roman
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5.
Belonging to an Egyptian Family
Professor Garland takes you deep inside the lives of an ordinary Egyptian family, from marriage, fertility, and the rights of its women, to social gatherings a couple might host or attend. You’ll experience the house, its furniture, and even the cosmetics—all the elements of everyday life.
5.
Belonging to an Egyptian Family
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29.
Being a Roman Celebrity
“Celebrity” is not a modern phenomenon. Politicians, criminals, actors, and even ordinary citizens in ancient Rome strove for recognition. Here you’ll chart the lives of some of Rome’s celebrities, including gladiators, charioteers, and the emperor Nero. You’ll also look at women who knew how to hog the limelight, including Cleopatra and Theodora.
29.
Being a Roman Celebrity
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6.
Practicing Egyptian Religion
Egyptian religion was a hierarchical affair, and since common people were not allowed in the temples, they mainly left it to the priests to pray on their behalf. You’ll meet some of the gods—Hathor, Amun-Re, Osiris—and learn about the myths attached to them. You’ll also learn the ins and outs of the Egyptian priesthood.
6.
Practicing Egyptian Religion
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30.
Being a Roman Criminal
Experience the world of Roman crime and punishment, law and order. You’ll witness crime ranging from midnight muggings to piracy to bandits in the countryside, and you’ll discover the variety of punishments meted out in a society lacking prisons—from loss of civic rights and exile to impalement and crucifixion.
30.
Being a Roman Criminal
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7.
Being a Dead Egyptian
Mummies. The Book of the Dead. Tomb robbers. Death was big business in ancient Egypt, and in this lecture you’ll discover Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife and the journey from this world to the next. You’ll learn how to make a mummy and how to get past Osiris at the gates to the afterlife.
7.
Being a Dead Egyptian
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31.
Relaxing Roman Style
The Romans balanced the sobriety of running an empire with a healthy need to relax. Delve into the spectator side of Roman society and learn about its public games—chariot races, theatrical performances, gladiatorial combats, and circuses. Experience the venues, the violence, and the excitement of relaxing Roman style.
31.
Relaxing Roman Style
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8.
Being an Egyptian Worker
As an ancient Egyptian, you might have been a farmer, a herdsman, a craftsman, a hunter, or, most dangerously, a miner. Take a tour of people in the professions that would been available to you in the village of Deir el-Medina—from educated scribes to the craftsmen who built royal tombs.
8.
Being an Egyptian Worker
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32.
Practicing Roman Religion
Cicero called the Romans the most religious of all mortals. See what religion meant in the Roman world, both inside the family, where the paterfamilias supervised various ceremonies, and in the state at large, whose emperor was considered divine. You’ll also compare how the Roman view of the gods differed from the Greek perspective.
32.
Practicing Roman Religion
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9.
Being Minoan and Mycenaean
While most ancient civilizations sprang up near rivers, Minoans and Mycenaeans lived in a thalassocracy—an empire based on control of the sea. This lecture surveys life on the island of Santorini, including the threat of earthquakes and volcanoes, the shift of power from Crete to mainland Greece, and life in the Greek Dark Age.
9.
Being Minoan and Mycenaean
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33.
Being Jewish under Roman Rule
Discover the problem of being a monotheist in a polytheistic state—with the Romans requiring the Jews to acknowledge their gods and the divinity of their emperor. This conflict escalated in the 1st century, leading first, to acts of terrorism; then, to the outbreak of the Jewish revolt of A.D. 66; next, to the destruction of Jerusalem; and finally, to the diaspora.
33.
Being Jewish under Roman Rule
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10.
Being Greek
Explore the world of the Greek polis and of true democracies run by ordinary citizens—that is, free male citizens. Women were cut off from society and kept in the home, and slaves performed much of the labor. After seeing the broad strokes of this society, you’ll go inside the mind of a juror casting his ballot at the trial of Socrates.
10.
Being Greek
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34.
Being Christian under Roman Rule
Among the competitors of Roman polytheism was a religion that preached love and salvation for the poor, the meek, and the downtrodden—bringing those on the other side of history to the fore. Chart the rise of Christianity over the first few centuries, and explore the daily lives of those who resolutely held their faith in the face of Roman persecution.
34.
Being Christian under Roman Rule
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11.
Growing Up Greek
Growing up in ancient Greece, you’d face a myriad of challenges between birth and adulthood, beginning with whether your father decided to raise you or expose you to the elements shortly after birth. See what your childhood would have been like, from the games you’d play to the schools you’d attend.
11.
Growing Up Greek
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35.
Being a Celt in Ancient Britain
Shift your attention to the world of the Celts, a mysterious European race that left few excavation sites—and none in Britain. This lecture takes you into the daily life of a Celtic village during the Iron Age, a world of tribes and chieftains, of war and bravery, and of the legendary Druids.
35.
Being a Celt in Ancient Britain
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12.
Being a Greek Slave
What are the origins of slavery? Although ancient Greeks didn’t invent the concept, they did leave records. You’ll discover the range of work slaves did, from performing domestic duties to being worked to death in the mines. Then travel to Sparta, where helot slaves outnumbered free Spartans by as many as 7 to 1.
12.
Being a Greek Slave
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36.
Being a Roman Briton
Picture what it was like to be a British native under Roman rule. How did you make peace with being subjugated when Claudius subjugated you in A.D. 43? The Romans built cities and showed natives new, more efficient agricultural practices, and protected the island for 365 years. After all that, how would you have felt when they abandoned you?
36.
Being a Roman Briton
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13.
Being a Greek Soldier or Sailor
Go inside a phalanx battle and experience it as an average citizen-soldier or hoplite. Then turn to Sparta, a society that revolved around military life from childhood education to retirement at age 60. Finally, explore the rise of Greek mercenaries, whom some Greek writers feared were a threat to civilization.
13.
Being a Greek Soldier or Sailor
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37.
Being Anglo-Saxon
Meet the people who filled the vacuum left by the Romans. The Anglo-Saxons, a warrior culture responsible for King Arthur and Beowulf, invaded Britain at the beginning of the so-called Dark Ages. In addition to meeting the wealthy thanes, struggling peasants, and unfortunate slaves, you’ll examine the lives of monks and nuns.
37.
Being Anglo-Saxon
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14.
Being a Greek Woman
This lecture takes you into the world of Athenian women, who were subjugated to males all their lives and who rarely left the home except for festivals and funerals. You’ll also look at the hetaerae—or female companions—whose lives were relatively independent.
14.
Being a Greek Woman
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38.
Being a Viking Raider
The Vikings have always been on the “other side” of history, their deeds recorded only by their victims. In this lecture, you’ll get at the truth of this enigmatic culture. While a small number were the raiders we know from other accounts, the Vikings had a vibrant trading culture based on the sea.
38.
Being a Viking Raider
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15.
Relaxing Greek Style
As a Greek citizen, your life would have been much more leisurely and relaxed on a day-to-day basis than ours is today. Put yourself in the sandals of an average citizen taking a morning stroll to the agora or enjoying a lively evening of drinking and discussion at a symposium. Then tour the clubs, witness the athletic events, and participate in the festivals that would have been part of your daily life.
15.
Relaxing Greek Style
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39.
Living under Norman Rule
The last successful invasion of England was by the Normans, who won the well-known Battle of Hastings in 1066. Go inside that invasion and learn about Norman culture and its lasting influence on the British—especially the creation of a strong central government that has fortified the island to the present.
39.
Living under Norman Rule
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16.
Being a Greek Refugee
Consider the lives of those truly on the other side of history—the refugees long ignored by historians. From the 8th to the 6th centuries B.C., a large percentage of Greeks were uprooted from their homelands. This lecture shows you the harrowing colonization process from the point of view of the refugees themselves.
16.
Being a Greek Refugee
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40.
Being Medieval
From the Magna Carta, which granted rights to ordinary citizens, to the rise of vernacular English, as evidenced by The Canterbury Tales, the Middle Ages marked a turning point for the “other side” of history. Find out what influenced life for ordinary people, from the control of the church to the horrors of the infamous Black Death.
40.
Being Medieval
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17.
Being a Sick or Disabled Greek
What was it like to live in the world before painkillers, antibiotics, and modern medicine? Disability Studies is a relatively new form of scholarship, and the field shows that despite Greek sculptures depicting the idealized human form, real people in the ancient world were at great risk for serious injuries, disfigurement, and disease. Find out the ancients’ perspective on disability, deformity, and illness and the often crude way these conditions were treated, as well as the stigma such people faced.
17.
Being a Sick or Disabled Greek
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41.
Being Poor in the Middle Ages
Visit the daily life of peasants in the wake of the Black Death. Experiencing economic hardship due in part to the feudal system, the poor organized the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381, the first popular uprising of its kind. Beyond the dramatic revolt, this lecture takes you to the dinner tables of everyday people, and to the anonymous cemeteries where they’d be buried.
41.
Being Poor in the Middle Ages
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18.
Practicing Greek Religion
Take a look at what, in many ways, is one of the most bizarre religious systems in human history—a system with no rules, no holy book, and no orthodoxy. You’ll meet some of the famous gods of Mount Olympus and the Underworld, with their jealousies and other human emotions, and you’ll experience the festivals and observances that were part of Greek religion.
18.
Practicing Greek Religion
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42.
Being a Medieval Woman
Like the ancient world, the Middle Ages was patriarchal and male-dominated, so a woman had few options—to get married, to become a nun, or to turn to prostitution. But Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, the seducer in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” and the notion of courtly love all added new dimensions to womanhood.
42.
Being a Medieval Woman
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19.
Being an Old Greek
Despite their lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality, some Greeks managed to live to a ripe old age, especially the poets and philosophers, who lived a more sedentary life. Discover the secrets to their longevity, and how you would support yourself in an era without anything like today’s retirement systems.
19.
Being an Old Greek
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43.
Being a Medieval Christian or Heretic
Look at ways in which the medieval church wielded enormous influence over the lives of ordinary people, and how it did everything in its power to maintain its influence. You’ll witness life as a clergyman, go into the world of a monastery, and see what became of those the church deemed heretics.
43.
Being a Medieval Christian or Heretic
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20.
Being a Dead Greek
An ancient Greek faced death head on. You would die in the home, surrounded by family, and afterward women would tend to your body and sing dirges in your honor. Your corpse would be tainted with miasma—pollution—and would be buried outside the city. Meanwhile, your spirit would be carried across the River Styx to Hades, where life among the shades of the dead awaited you.
20.
Being a Dead Greek
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44.
Being a Medieval Knight
Were the Middle Ages really an era of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress? In this lecture you’ll gain new insights into the realities of knighthood, from the rigorous training during childhood to the bloodthirstiness of battle. You’ll also study the code of chivalry, where courtesy is the mark of a civilized man.
44.
Being a Medieval Knight
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21.
Being Persian
Turn to ancient Persia, a kingdom that came from the other side of history and rose to greatness. See how Cyrus the Great was a tolerant, pragmatic ruler, who allowed his subjects to maintain certain rights. Then see how Darius built roads, adopted a currency, and created an innovative system of communication and administration.
21.
Being Persian
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45.
Being a Crusader
Unpack the term “Crusade” and situate it in its cultural context. When Pope Urban said it was the Christians’ duty to take up arms against the “infidels,” ordinary people were swept up in the idea that they were fighting to save Christianity and their own souls against the advance of Islam.
45.
Being a Crusader
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22.
Living in Hellenistic Egypt
Revisit Egypt in the years after Alexander the Great, an era when Greek (Hellenistic) culture spread throughout the region. Tour the city of Alexandria, which was arguably the greatest city of the ancient world and which now lies mostly beneath the sea. Then explore the ethnic tensions between the Egyptians, Greeks, and Jews.
22.
Living in Hellenistic Egypt
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46.
Being a Pilgrim
Imagine you were one of Chaucer’s pilgrims on your way to visit the tomb of Thomas Becket. Chaucer died before he could finish his tales, but this lecture takes you on the road from London all the way to the massive crowds at Canterbury. Then turn to a more hazardous journey, the 3,000-mile trek from England to Jerusalem to visit the holiest shrine in Christendom.
46.
Being a Pilgrim
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23.
Being Roman
See how the Romans extended citizenship, expanding the word “Roman” to encompass more than just a person from Rome itself. As Vergil’s Aeneid shows, Romans considered it their civic duty to expand their territory for the public good; yet, despite this noble aspiration, they also had a penchant for violence and cruelty.
23.
Being Roman
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47.
Relaxing Medieval Style
Soccer. Chess. Skating. Music. Life in the Middle Ages was full of misery and toil, but the world of sports and leisure was not that different from today. Learn about the origins of soccer, the history of chess, the variety of medieval music, and more. Conclude with a look at touring entertainers and professional guilds.
47.
Relaxing Medieval Style
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24.
Being a Roman Slave
Could Romans have achieved all they did without the labor of slaves? Imagine yourself as part of the largest slave force in human history, perhaps as an agricultural slave worked to death or as a semi-independent craftsman. Then explore manumission, the process by which domestic slaves were sometimes freed.
24.
Being a Roman Slave
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48.
Daily Life Matters
Reflect on the humanistic value of putting yourself in the hearts and minds of ordinary people from the Neanderthal era to the late Middle Ages. The difference between their lives and ours is profound, yet this course leaves you with an equally profound connection to the anonymous majority who make up the other side of history.
48.
Daily Life Matters
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24
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Reflections on and of Pompeii
No archaeological site in the world has such an evocative name as Pompeii. And yet, when most people hear this name, they think of destruction. In this introduction, gain an overview of the course and begin to consider why the remains of Pompeii offer more than just a story of a cataclysm.
1.
Reflections on and of Pompeii
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13.
Riot in the Amphitheater—A.D. 59
Continue your consideration of the gladiatorial games and learn about a major crisis in Pompeian life: a riot in the amphitheater that was sparked between the city's inhabitants and fans from a rival city. Trace the factors that led to this catastrophe, the event itself, and its aftermath.
13.
Riot in the Amphitheater—A.D. 59
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2.
Geology and Geography on the Bay of Naples
Both the land and humankind helped to shape Pompeii. Examine the violent geological forces that forged the distinctive region of the Bay of Naples, trace its influence on the surrounding geography, and learn about the various cultures that contributed to life in this area.
2.
Geology and Geography on the Bay of Naples
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14.
The House of the Tragic Poet
Tour the house that was the setting for the famous historical novel The Last Days of Pompeii, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Trace the activities of the owner, guests, and visitors, and consider how the design and artwork of the house reflect the life of prosperous Pompeians.
14.
The House of the Tragic Poet
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3.
The Rediscovery of Vesuvian Lands
Archaeological finds from the area were unearthed starting around 1594—centuries after the eruption that buried them. Uncover the history of Pompeii's excavation in the 1700s, from the kings who plundered its artwork to the modern scholars who sought another kind of treasure: information.
3.
The Rediscovery of Vesuvian Lands
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15.
Pompeii's Wool Industry
In the first of two lectures exploring the industrial life of Pompeii, enter the world of wool workers by visiting a typical fullonica—the ancient equivalent of a modern dry-cleaner. Investigate the methods, tools, and workspace used by these service people.
15.
Pompeii's Wool Industry
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4.
Etruscan Pompeii—5th Century B.C.
While the last days of Pompeii have attracted popular attention, the city was a thriving cultural center centuries before its destruction. In this lecture, delve deep into Pompeii's remote Etruscan history and explore what life was like in this ancient pre-Roman settlement.
4.
Etruscan Pompeii—5th Century B.C.
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16.
Pompeii's Wine and Vineyards
Continue your consideration of Pompeii's key industries with a tour of two preserved vineyards. Gleaning information from these two farms, as well as handbooks from the day, investigate the process of growing, pressing, and fermenting grapes, and storing wine.
16.
Pompeii's Wine and Vineyards
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5.
Samnite Pompeii—2nd Century B.C.
Centuries after the establishment of Etruscan Pompeii, the city was invaded by a new people, the Samnites. Witness the conquest of the city by these invaders and consider how Pompeii was redefined and expanded by its new inhabitants.
5.
Samnite Pompeii—2nd Century B.C.
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17.
Earthquake—A.D. 62
In a precursor to the eruption that would later bury the city in A.D. 79, Pompeii experienced a cataclysmic earthquake. Uncover evidence of this quake and look further afield at its effects, including a tsunami that crippled Rome's food supply.
17.
Earthquake—A.D. 62
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6.
Building the Roman Colony—80 B.C.
Encounter the first Roman inhabitants of Pompeii. Learn how Pompeii became a Roman colony and take a tour of the city as viewed through the eyes of two of its chief magistrates.
6.
Building the Roman Colony—80 B.C.
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18.
Rebuilding after the Earthquake
After the destructive earthquake of A.D. 62, the officials of Pompeii undertook a remarkable rebuilding effort. Survey the structures that post-date this event, and examine what the rebuilding efforts suggest about the changing culture of Pompeii at the time of the quake.
18.
Rebuilding after the Earthquake
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7.
Villa of the Papyri and Life with Piso
Despite its history of conquest and invasion, ancient Pompeii was not all mayhem and military occupation. See a different side of Roman elite culture by visiting one of the grandest and best-preserved private dwellings from the ancient world: the Villa of the Papyri.
7.
Villa of the Papyri and Life with Piso
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19.
Wall Paintings in the House of the Vettii
The House of the Vettii at Pompeii is one of the best-decorated and best-preserved domestic spaces from the ancient Roman world. Explore what the house and its wall paintings can tell us about the former slaves who built a prosperous life there.
19.
Wall Paintings in the House of the Vettii
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8.
Marriage and Mysteries—Rites of Dionysus
In the first of three lectures investigating women's lives in Pompeii, explore the rituals of marriage. Follow along as a Roman girl is initiated into the worship of Dionysus on the eve of her wedding, and then attend the nuptials.
8.
Marriage and Mysteries—Rites of Dionysus
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20.
A Pompeian Country Club
Take a tour of the Praedia of Julia Felix, a large complex that included a remarkable collection of baths, shops, and garden dining rooms, all decorated with an amazing selection of paintings, statues, inscriptions, and furnishings.
20.
A Pompeian Country Club
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9.
Eumachia, Public Priestess
Continue your exploration of the lives of Pompeian women as you attend the funeral of a powerful priestess. Learn about her background, achievements, and aspirations, and gain insights into the roles available to women in Roman culture.
9.
Eumachia, Public Priestess
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21.
Worshipping the Emperors at Herculaneum
When Vesuvius erupted, it also buried Pompeii's neighboring town of Herculaneum. With local priest Aulus Lucius Proculus as your guide, explore the city's public spaces, including the city baths, a wine shop, and a shrine to the Roman emperor.
21.
Worshipping the Emperors at Herculaneum
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10.
A Female Slave in Pompeii
After examining the exalted life of a priestess, move to the other end of the social scale and follow a day in the life of a slave girl, Chryseis. As she carries out her duties, gain a grasp of the role of the lowliest workers in this culture and trace the contours of everyday life in Pompeii.
10.
A Female Slave in Pompeii
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22.
Visiting a Villa at Stabiae
Perched high atop the cliffs of the Bay of Naples, the spectacular villa at Stabiae offers a unique opportunity to glimpse elite life in ancient Rome. Imagine the life of the privileged residents as you trace the villa's complex architectural design and examine its decor and artwork.
22.
Visiting a Villa at Stabiae
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11.
Governing in the 1st Century A.D.
What made a Roman city run? Discover the answer to this question by focusing on two levels of officials in Pompeii, the duoviri (chief magistrates) and the aediles (their assistants). Follow these officials as they perform their typical tasks of government.
11.
Governing in the 1st Century A.D.
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23.
Pliny Narrates the Eruption of Vesuvius
Thanks to the letters of Pliny the Younger, the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79 is the only ancient natural disaster for which we have an eyewitness account. Follow the harrowing narrative of destruction and compare the effects on Pompeii to the experience of the inhabitants of nearby Herculaneum.
23.
Pliny Narrates the Eruption of Vesuvius
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12.
Games and Competition for Offices
One of the most familiar images of ancient Rome is the clash of the gladiators. Go behind the scenes with one Pompeian politician as he plans a gladiatorial spectacle to help launch his son's career.
12.
Games and Competition for Offices
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24.
The Bay of Naples after Vesuvius
The majority of Pompeians did not perish in the eruption that buried their city. Examine efforts by the imperial government under the emperor Titus to aid and resettle refugees, and follow the experiences of a family after the eruption.
24.
The Bay of Naples after Vesuvius
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