CLASC-209 Exploring Ancient Fiction: The Greek and Roman Novels
This class introduces students to the diverse, fascinating genre of prose fiction in Greek and Latin, the so-called “ancient novels:” literary entertainment for the educated elite of the Roman Empire, which feature tales of love and desire; journeys over sea, land, and even space; shapeshifting and mistaken identities; violent misadventures and joyful reunions. We will read and analyze a wide variety of texts, both the works that survive complete, and fragments on papyrus from antiquity. In the process, we will investigate how these stories respond to other literary works and to their societal context, as well as their afterlives in art and literature (from Shakespeare to science fiction). All readings will be in English translation.
Writing-Intensive (18)
Credits
1.00