Splash Biography

The art and architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans have withstood the test of time not only because of their physical preservation but the creativity and ideas they represent. Why have we all seen the Parthenon in Athens or know about the Vitruvian Man of Leonardo da Vinci? This class will explore where these and others came from and why they are still important. The answers may not be what you expect.

As long as people have been in the world, they've been trying to explain human existence. People from all civilizations have asked, "Where will I go when I die?" and "Why do we have night and day?" and "Is there a higher power in the universe?" Some of the earliest answers to these questions were explained in mythology. This class is going to take a look at the Greek and Roman perspective on this issue. From Homer and Hesiod to Vergil and Ovid, we will look at how this part of history viewed itself and its surrounding world.