Course Schedule

Classics 301B provides an introductory survey of Latin literature through English translations. The works to be studied include some of the earliest extant ones of the republican period down to those of the mid-empire: our authors span a period of over 300 years. We will read from a variety of genres, including comedy and tragedy, epic and lyric poetry, didactic literature, satire, historiography, the novel, letters, and philosophy. Latin writers appropriated all these genres- with the exception of satire, which apparently is a Roman innovation (satura quidem tota nostra est, Quintilian 10.1.93)-from the Greeks. In doing so they creatively and self-reflexively (Latin literature is extremely "meta") adapted their Greek source texts with a view to their own audiences and artistic purposes. The study of this literature provides a dynamic point of entry into the rich and diverse cultural world of the ancient Romans-the Roman empire was an extraordinarily complex experiment in multiethnic and polylingual exchange that is only now being rivaled by globalist movements. Latin literature is also critical to appreciation of subsequent European literatures and cultures.

This is a course that explores the world of ancient Athens and Rome as it was viewed and interpreted in later periods. The learning activities inspire students to critically analyze and incorporate past and current art, historical, archaeological and cultural perspectives on ancient Greek life and culture. Then we learn about how people in America in the 1930s were inspired by ancient Greece. Students are expected to apply their knowledge by analyzing movies made in this period which focus on presenting classical culture in modern guise, especially those by the only major woman director of the era: Dorothy Arzner. Next, we look at ancient Rome. Since Americans have traditionally identified more with ancient Rome, we dedicate more time to the analysis of Rome and its influence. Finally, we look at the 1930s' vogue for the symbolism of classical culture in Fascist Italy under Mussolini and in Nazi Germany under Hitler.