CLAS 1106 - Introduction to Ancient Greek and Roman Literature

This course provides an introduction to many of the great texts and significant literary genres that arose from the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. It will explore the origins and development of genres and writing styles that are key to understanding the values and complexities of these two influential civilizations; these may include epic love poetry, dramatic tragedy and comedy, satire, historical, biographical and philosophical writing. Important works by the major authors of antiquity - such as Homer, Sophocles and Virgil - will be studied, either in part or whole and students will learn the skills necessary for the technique called 'close reading'. The course will teach students how to place texts within their historical and cultural contexts and will enable them to appreciate the influence that such texts had upon the subsequent literature of the Western world. No knowledge of Latin or ancient Greek is required; all texts will be studied in English translations.