Striking Trojan icons brilliantly basked in the sun as Associate Dean of the Social Sciences and Humanities Ruth Wallach led a curious crowd of community members, students and faculty throughout campus. The iconography tour was in cooperation with the Visions and Voices program “About Face: Women, War, and Re-Envisioning Troy.”

The guided walking tour provided insight into the numerous works of art that are ancient and symbolic of a USC Trojan life. Attendees learned that sprinkled throughout the campus are ancient artifacts and references to Troy, Greece and philosophers.

On the first two days of April, Wallach led the tours as they embarked on a transformative journey. Sculptures, statues and stained glass took on new meaning as she meticulously explained their historical significance and emblematic meaning.

Kicking off the Tuesday tour in front of Doheny Memorial Library, the group wove its way across campus. Some of the most iconic stops were at Tommy Trojan, Prometheus outside of Taper Hall, and the interior of Doheny, where the attendees were surprised to see a Roman Sarcophagus with an estimated origin of 150 C.E. rest.

Amid the stunning art pieces, student Anna Shaposhnik — a senior majoring in arts, technology and the business of innovation — felt that she now had a better appreciation of one particular sculpture in USC Village. 

“I learned more about Hecuba. So it was interesting to me that they tried to kind of put a positive spin on her,” Shaposhnik said. 

Another student voiced his appreciation for these insightful tours. Nathan Sudeep, a senior majoring in biological sciences, said, “It was really nice to see the Greek and Roman art on campus. I feel I haven’t intimately looked at all the art on campus.”

It surprised many of the walking tour attendees that many artifacts around campus were authentically ancient relics. 

“Learning about how there are artifacts that are 1000 years old on campus [is] just crazy,” Sudeep said. “It just makes me love the campus more and appreciate the campus architecture.”

The tour highlighted ancient works of art that students might pass by without noticing its historical significance. One was a Trojan column dating back somewhere between 30 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. during the Roman imperial period. This ancient column resides outside of Taper Hall.

There are many Trojan spirit reminders adorning the architecture, especially at the Physical Education Building. At the front entrance, one can find one bench in particular that is inscribed with the Latin phrase “In Concordia mentis et corporis,” translating to “in harmony of mind and body.”

“Learning about the artifacts was cool, but I think as well learning about the smaller details about the buildings,” said Pranav Vadali, a senior majoring in biological sciences. “[Students] walk by every day and never really appreciate it … [I liked] getting a new understanding of the origins behind them and what they mean.”

The tour also attempted to make the connection between USC school spirit and historical references.  

“The goal was to highlight Trojan Greek iconography. And to try and tie it, loosely, together to heroic Trojans, Greece [and] student-athletes,” Wallach said.

In the handouts provided for the tour, many nods to ancient leaders were pointed out. Most notable were the 1921 statues of Cicero and Plato on the bell tower of the Bovard Administration Building.

Students finding themselves near the front entrance of Doheny can observe the stained glass depictions of Socrates and Plato and the imagery of Hercules and Alexander the Great. However, individuals looking for a California twist will notice Hercules’s depiction above the front entrance: Wallach explained that Hercules can be seen performing one of his twelve labors, but instead of Hercules obtaining the golden apples of the Hesperides,​​ he is seen with oranges, a believed nod to the Southern California orange. 

“People should look more closely in the buildings when they pass and maybe stop by and look at Tommy Trojan … But I wonder to what extent people really pay attention,” Wallach said.