Project 3
Augustus and His Interactions with Greece
Learning Goal: Present orally and in written form an argument supported by primary and secondary sources
Literacy: Visual
Throughout time, there have been many interactions between Greece and Rome, and much of these interactions are dependent on the political situation and leader of these places. Within this speech, I look at Sulla, Augustus, and Hadrian and their relationships with Greece. I also look at various pieces of material culture and how they demonstrate these relationships.
The main purpose of this course was to take a closer look into the ways in which life and religion intersected in ancient Greece. For this speech, each student was given a specific monument, statue, or other piece of material culture to present on. I was given a bronze statue of Augustus that is held within the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. This item was successful to me because, similar to my Children and Social Hierarchy in Ancient Rome paper, it helped me reorient myself within the classical world and expand my knowledge across both time and space. Throughout the research process of this speech, I learned about and highlighted major Roman emperors and their interactions with Greece.
Additionally, I also delved into the specifics of the bronze statue. Though there was not much information on that particular statue itself, I looked into how Augustus was presented, how he presented himself, and how that changed the way people in the ancient world viewed him. Working on this speech cemented my enjoyment of learning about ancient Greece. I think it was a valuable experience to learn not only about Greece itself but also the ways in which other societies viewed and interacted with Greece, especially after the fall of Athens. If I were to redo this assignment, I would keep most of the information, but I would want to add more information on how Augustus presented himself through his image.