Category Archives: Discussion Topics
Discussion Topic: How evil was Commodus?
You may have heard of the gladiator-obsessed Roman Emperor Commodus (reign 180-192 AD) made infamous in the movie Gladiator. Read sections 9-11 of the Life of Commodus in Lampridius’s biography Historia Augusta. Write a 100-word interpretation of the Roman portrait … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: How was masculinity defined in Ancient Greece compared to today?
Polykleitos’ Doryphoros (c.450-440) is regarded as an example of the ideal Greek male. Read the famous funeral oration given during the Peloponnesian War by Pericles, leader of Athens. Highlight one trait of manliness in Pericles’ speech and discuss how … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: Can you recycle art?
Who makes art? Who owns art? These are some of the questions we’ll discuss here and in class. See how contemporary artist John Baldessari recycles images to produce art. Do you think his work is art? Groups 1, 2, and … Continue reading
