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LAT 222
Lucretius
LAT 222 FA
Next Offered in 9798 FA
"Imagine there's no heaven..." Close reading in Latin of
extensive selections of the DE RERUM NATURA, the remarkable
poem in which Lucretius argues that the world is made up
of atoms, that the soul dies with the body, that the gods
never help or punish human beings, and that mortals should
live their lives in search of the peace of mind of Epicurean
philosophy. We will try to understand Lucretius' Latin,
which we will hope to read with increasing ease and accuracy
his rhetorical and poetic techniques; and the literary,
philosophical, historical and cultural background of this
unusual and fascinating poem.
MAJOR READINGS
DE RERUM NATURA--selections in
Latin, the rest in English.
Selected articles on Lucretius and Epicureanism.
EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Weekly reading assignments
in the text, with associated critical material. Two short
take-home translation exams, a short paper due at midterm
and a longer paper at the end of term.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS
Students should
be ready to translate and discuss any section of the
assignment in class each week. Freshmen or others who have
not taken a Latin class at Wesleyan should consult the
professor of this course or LAT 201 to see which course they
should take.
COURSE FORMAT: Discussion Language Instruction Seminar
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Level: UG Credit: 1.00
Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA CLAS
Prerequisites:
None
Last Updated on MAR-10-1997
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