Latin 102: The Roman Emperors |
| Instructor: | |
| Time/Location: | W, 1:30-6:00 p.m.; Trotter 115 |
| Contact Info: |
Office: Trotter 104 |
OVERVIEWThis seminar explores Latin authors of the Roman Empire. Particular attention is given to their responses to the social and political structures of their times, and above all, to the Roman Emperors of the first two centuries A.D. Expressed attitudes towards emperors range from adulation to spite, but the seminar concentrates on authors who fall somewhere in between, writing skeptically or subversively. The course will focus on close reading of prose writers (Augustus, Velleius Paterculus, Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny, Fronto, the Historia Augusta), but poets (among these Martial, Seneca and Statius) and documentary texts (inscriptions, papyri, etc.) will be included. |
PREREQUISITESLatin 102 is a seminar and is thus intended for students with who can read the language rapidly and accurately. It is normally taken after 2-3 intermediate level Latin courses (i.e., those numbered in the double digits: 011, 012, etc.). If you're concerned about placement in the course, please let me know. |
READINGSThe readings for this course will be many, but you need only buy the following boldfaced texts. I will provide you with selections from everything else (in pdf format: see Course Schedule, below).
You will also need both a Latin grammar/syntax and a good Latin/English dictionary. I would advise that you purchase Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar (Focus Publishing, 2001) or (less enthusiastically) Gildersleeve's Latin Grammar (Bolchazy-Carducci, 1997 [reprint edition]), alongside E.C. Woodcock's A New Latin Syntax (Bolchazy-Carducci, 1959 [reprint edition]). Copies of Allen and Greenough and Woodcock will be available in the bookstore. As far as dictionaries go, the Chambers-Murray Latin-English Dictionary (reissue; Chambers, 1994) or Cassell's Latin Dictionary (Cassell's, 1977) will probably suffice for the purposes of the course. Copies of the Chambers-Murray dictionary will be available in the bookstore. If you're looking for a dictionary for life, however, you can't go wrong with the Latin Dictionary Founded on Andrew's Edition of Freund's Latin Dictionary, edited by C.T. Lewis and C. Short (Oxford UP: revised edition, 1979; affectionately known as "Lewis and Short"). The Oxford Latin Dictionary (Oxford UP: 1983; a.k.a. the OLD) is also a safe bet, though I prefer Lewis and Short myself. All of these texts should be readily available locally or via the web. |
GRADINGGrading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:
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OTHER INFOSurprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and be reported to the Office of the Deans. (See their policies on academic honesty.) Office hours will be held whenever I am in my office. One can generally find me there at the following times: M: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 1:00-2:30 p.m.; 5:15-6:00 p.m. You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler. |
COURSE SCHEDULEWhat follows is a sketch outline of the fall semester. Reading assignments are due on the dates specified. For a typical class you'll read an extensive chunk of Latin poetry and/or prose in the original language, as well as a bit more in translation. (This falls under the rubric of LITERATURE on the schedule; texts to be read in Latin are rendered in boldface.) You'll also usually read some secondary scholarship (in English) to supplement the ancient material. (This falls under the rubric of SCHOLARSHIP.) Some of the reading assignments are pdf files. To view/download them, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here). In class, we'll spend the first 1.5-2 hours plowing through the Latin, stopping to address difficult passages, uncommon constructions and student questions. After a break (there will be cookies) we'll address broader issues: the cultural, political, economic and social themes raised and/or addressed by the texts under consideration. At this point we'll also discuss the secondary readings and entertain student presentations. Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to have readings posted at least two weeks before the due date. |
Part 1: The Julio-Claudian Emperors (31 B.C.-A.D. 68)We begin, naturally enough, with the first cluster of Roman emperors: the Julio-Claudians. Our readings in this section of the course are drawn for the most part from Roman historians (Velleius Paterculus, Tacitus), but ancient inscriptions (Augustus' Res Gestae, a speech of Claudius preserved in CIL XIII 1668 ii) and satire (Seneca) will also figure prominently. |
Part 2: Flavians and Antonines (A.D. 69-192)In the second half of the course, we'll examine the period in which the Roman Empire reached its greatest geographical extent: the second century A.D. The literature describing the emperors of this period, the Flavians (A.D. 69-96) and Antonines (A.D. 96-192), is rich and varied. To obtain a well-rounded picture of the age we will read biography (Suetonius), history (the Historia Augusta), personal correspondence (Pliny, Fronto), epigrams (Martial) and occasional poetry (Statius' Silvae). |
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