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).