Ancient Rome and the Bay of Naples

This summer institute allows students to experience first-hand the art and culture of ancient Rome and Italy. Emphasis will be on visiting sites occupied by the Greeks, Etruscans, and ancient Romans and on learning about their art and culture through museum visits and on-site lectures.

Day trips will include the Colosseum and Circus Maximus, where Romans were entertained by gladiatorial battles and chariot racing; the mammoth bath complexes in which workers bathed beside emperors in opulent surroundings; the buried city of Pompeii and nearby imperial villas, which allow visitors to wander the streets and re-live the day-to-day experiences of the ancients; and the island of Capri, where the emperor Tiberius built a pleasure palace from the cliffs of which he threw his enemies to their death in the sea below. Museum visits will include the Vatican Museum in Vatican City and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, which contain items of interest from antiquity to the Renaissance and beyond.

In addition to reading about the historical and archaeological background of the locations we visit, students will be expected to report on-site about a monument or artwork of their choice.

Participation is limited to 15 students. We shall spend the first week of the institute in the Bay of Naples area, one of the most desirable sea-side destinations of the ancient Romans. Here the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79 preserved under lava and ash the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. While in the area we shall also visit the cave of the Cumaean Sibyl and the well-preserved Greek temples at Paestum.

We shall live the final three weeks in Rome. In addition to visiting sites in the city, we will be taking day-long excursions to visit the tombs of ancient Etruria, the ancient port-city of Ostia, and the ruins of Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli. Students will have most afternoons and evenings free to explore other aspects of this vibrant city, now the capital of Italy. Although the institute’s focus is on antiquity (c. 700 B.C.-300 A.D.), by the time the institute draws to a close students will have been exposed to the highlights of nearly 3,000 years of history.

Program Director

Anthony Corbeill, Professor and Graduate Director in the Classics Department, has focused his research on Roman literature and cultural history.

Courses Offered

Students will enroll in TWO (2) of the following courses for a total of SIX (6) hours of KU credit, or in THREE (3) of the following courses for a total of NINE (9) hours of KU credit. Students selecting the six-hour option will be responsible for preparing one site-report and one paper 8-10 pages in length, due August 10, 2009. Students selecting the nine-hour option will be responsible for preparing two site-reports and one paper 12-15 pages in length, due August 10, 2009.

CLSX 240: Roman Literature and Civilization
(or CLSX 340: the Honors section)
CLSX 375: Studies in Roman Topography
CLSX 527 (or HA 537): Roman Archaeology and Art
HWC 600: Rome: Biography of a City

Classics 240/340 qualifies as a Humanities principal course in Literature and Arts.

Accommodations

In the Naples area, the group will be provided with double-occupancy accommodation that includes full-board.

In Rome, students will be staying in double-occupancy accommodations at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies. The Centro will provide meals six days per week and free, twenty-four hour internet access. Located on the Gianicolo hill, the Centro is in a quiet neighborhood within easy walking distance to Rome’s ancient and modern city center.

Dates

Group flight will depart US: May 24, 2009
Arrive Naples: May 25, 2009
Travel to Rome: June 1, 2009
Program Ends: June 19, 2009

Students will be provided with a two-day vacation half-way through the course to allow the opportunity for independent travel.

Eligibility

Open to students from any accredited U.S. college or university. Minimum 2.5 GPA required (exceptions considered after submission of a petition).

This program will include a significant amount of walking, and temperatures can sometimes be extremely hot in June. Therefore, participants must be in good health.

Credit

Six to nine hours of undergraduate credit is granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program.

Cost

Program Fee: Approximately $4,670 ($4,870 for non-KU students). The program fee includes fees, room, most meals, group excursions and entrance fees, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services, and all program administrative costs.

Tuition:Estimated tuition and fees for 6 credit hours (based on standard tuition rate): $1,239

Additional costs:Airfare, some meals, passport fees, books, and personal expenses.

Note

All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Financial Aid

KU students who qualify for summer financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.

Limited supplemental scholarships are available to KU undergraduates. Applications are available at the Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the scholarship application. The scholarship application deadline is March 1.

Non-KU students should check into the financial resources available to them at their home institutions.

Application Procedures

Application Deadline: March 1, 2009.

Participation is limited to 15 students. Early application is strongly encouraged.

Applications are available in the KU Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the application.

(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download an application. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader you can download it for FREE.)

For more information contact:

Professor Anthony Corbeill
Department of Classics
Wescoe Hall
1445 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 1035
Lawrence, KS 66045-7590
Tel: (785) 864-2393
Fax: (785) 864-5566
E-mail: corbeill@ku.edu

The University of Kansas
Office of Study Abroad
Lippincott Hall
1410 Jayhawk Blvd. Room 108
Lawrence, KS 66045-7515
phone: 785-864-3742
fax: 785-864-5040
e-mail: osa@ku.edu