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Innovative recent work on Roman epic, and effective new translations, have made possible a fresh approach to these important poems. After some initial background material on the prior epic tradition, we will read (in English) "Catullus 64," a mini-epic on the wedding of Peleus and Thetis and the abandonment of Ariadne by Theseus; Lucretius' philosophical epic ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, which uses poetry to sell Epicureanism even though Epicurus looked down on poetry; Vergil's story of the mythic origins of the Romans, the AENEID, with its numerous connections to Rome's first emperor, Augustus; Ovid's very different take on epic in the playful, not-very-Augustan stories of his METAMORPHOSES; Lucan's wildly rhetorical historical epic on the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, the BELLUM CIVILE; and Statius' story of mythological civil war between Oedipus' sons, the THEBAID. We will also read and discuss shorter works of relevance to epic and secondary literature describing modern responses to these poems, and we'll have class reports on selected topics. Issues for discussion include the poets' sense of belonging to an epic tradition, and to what extent each controls or is controlled by that tradition; how each poet's narrative(s) and/or ideas are structured and presented; whether and to what extent the poems offer ideological coherence, or a multiplicity of viewpoints or voices; the interplay between myth and philosophy; the extent to which the poems offer a clear or blurred picture of heroes and villains; and the ways in which mythological subjects (especially the depiction of gods, heroes, and civil strife) reflect contemporary Roman political or moral concerns.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA CLAS Grading Mode: Student Option
Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-21-2005
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459