LATN 300 War, Love, and Sacrifice in Latin Literature

The Romans to a large extent adopted the literary genres of the Greeks before them. In Roman hands however the genres of epic and tragedy evolved to reflect contemporary literary tastes and the emergence of Rome as the dominant power in the Mediterranean. In this course we will consider the themes of war love and sacrifice in Latin literature by reading Vergil's Aeneid the little Iliad in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Seneca's Trojan Women. Students will explore the differences between "Golden and Silver Age" Latin epic and round out their examination of the course's themes in the context of the tragic genre. No knowledge of Latin is needed (but is certainly welcome). No knowledge of Latin is needed. Same as ECLS 303