P. Pucci and L. Abel. Knowledge of Greek or Latin is not necessary, since all texts are in translation. This course covers a wide range of Greek literary and philosophical works, as well as modern critical and philosophical writings on the Greeks. Our focus throughout will be on the status of language, the many forms of discourse that appear in the literature, and the attempts the Greeks themselves made to overcome the perceived inadequacies and difficulties inherent in language as the medium of poetry and philosophy. We will inquire into the development of philosophy in the context of a culture infused with traditional, mythological accounts of the cosmos.
All readings are in English.
Ancient fiction blended ideal romance, fantastic adventure, and social realism into new literary forms that would have a lasting impact on the medieval and modern imagination, from early Christian and Renaissance literature to opera and film. This course will survey major works of fiction by Greek and Roman authors in translation, including the novels by Achilles Tatius, Apuleius, Chariton, Heliodorus, Longus, and Petronius and a selection of shorter pieces from related genres, such as satire, biography, and travel accounts. Students will also evaluate several theoretical approaches to the interpretation of ancient fiction and consider the influence of the ancient novels on their successors. This course examines the origin and development of Western philosophy in Ancient Greece and Rome. One of the fundamental works we will read is Plato's Republic .