Disabling the Classical: Beyond Typologies of Ancient Greek and Roman Architecture

The Department of Classics invites you to a lecture by Professor Mantha Zarmakoupi (Roman Architecture, University of Pennsylvania) titled Disabling the Classical: Beyond Typologies of Ancient Greek and Roman Architecture. The event will take place on Thursday, February 20 in Dodd 248 at 4:00 pm, and all are welcome!

Description: Notions of the “classical” are built on ableist ideals: healthy, muscular bodies, overemphasized typologies, perfectly designed monuments, and idealized democratic cities, often silencing the role of enslaved labor. These aesthetics of “purity” and “perfection” are deeply entrenched in the study of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. By focusing on the bouleuterion at Teos in Türkiye, this study reveals how typological approaches, while essential in our research about architectural design, have sometimes limited our understanding of the broader meaning and function of civic architecture. Ultimately, this research challenges cleansed ideas of classical buildings to provide a deeper understanding of these structures and the social and cultural realities that underpin them.