From “The City, and Cities, in Greek and Roman Cultures”

On a Monday evening, Professor Mary T. Boatwright of Duke University gave a lecture that was titled, “The City, and Cities, in Greek and Roman Cultures.” At the time, I had no idea what to expect because I had only a vague knowledge of Greek and Roman society. However, as Professor Boatwright began her lecture, I immediately felt comfortable when she mentioned one of the class readings within the first couple of sentences. The text that she decided to relate to was The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. The Professor started out by saying that Jacobs’ novel was an inspirational text and it presented themes that she would talk about as she gave the Greek and Roman history in a “nutshell.”

One of the important themes that Professor Boatwright discussed is the idea of a city as a community. That is to say, that a city cannot survive without the communities or inhabitants that live in it. They depend upon each other for their survival. A city is more than just the physical reality that composes it. In a way, a city develops its own sense of style due to all the various types of people that live there. Consider this; would the buildings, statues, and neighborhoods of America have the same significance if people were not involved with them? The answer to this question would be no. The people are the ones that physically use cities and make these things significant.

One way that people can bring significance to their city is to overcome obstacles and break barriers together. Barriers can be found in various physical and cultural forms. The idea of barriers is one of the prominent themes in the novel by Jane Jacobs. She says that, “This is serious, because literal and continuous mingling of people, present because of different purposes, is the only device that keeps streets safe. It is the only device that cultivates secondary diversity.” When people “mingle” together and overcome diversity, good things can happen, such as keeping the streets safe and shaping the way people view the city from all around the world.

Professor Boatwright continued with the theme of community throughout her lecture. In Greek and Roman culture, the polis, or city, is defined as a “community of families and aggregations of families, in well-being, for sake of a perfect and self-sufficing life.” Everyone dreams of the perfect life, but unfortunately it is not a reality. Just as families can have their own problems, cities can face their own difficulties. However, it is up to the people in the city to come together as a community and make the best situation possible.

I have finally come to a real understanding for the purpose of the Year of the City. In an effort to destroy cultural and physical barriers, Loyola has decided to take a step forward by truly getting involved in the various opportunities that the city of Baltimore has to offer. Whether it is weekend excursions, or volunteering at a service site, the Year of the City is meant to break barriers and to further develop that idea of city as community.