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Sean P. Burrus, Post-Doctoral Curatorial Fellow, Bowdoin College

18th- and 19th-century Americans of all races, classes and genders looked to the ancient Mediterranean for inspiration

Mediterranean America Sappho
In a new land, the ancient past held special meaning. 'Temple of Aphaea, Aegina' by John Rollin Tilton. Courtesy of Bowdoin College Museum of Art

The ancient world of the Mediterranean has long permeated American society, in everything from museum collections to home furnishings. The design of the nation’s public monuments, buildings and universities, as well as its legal system and form of government, show the enduring influence of Mediterranean antiquity on American culture.

Until the late 19th century, Americans encountered the ancient world almost exclusively through reproductions – in books, artwork and even popular plays. Very few could afford to travel abroad to encounter Mediterranean artifacts firsthand.

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