GRST 341 - Topics in Latin Literature

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2019/20b: Juvenal. The sixteen Satires of the Roman poet Juvenal contain a litany of often vicious attacks on various groups marked as “other” under the Roman empire, including women, homosexuals, and foreigners. They also contain criticism of the social hierarchy of Rome, including the emperor himself. The former make the poetry repulsive to contemporary sensibilities; the latter seem to suggest the possibility of a subversive message. And all the satires are written in a vivid, learned, and allusive style that is sometimes funny, sometimes disgusting. The poetry of Juvenal is thus a fertile ground for considering many issues relevant to both Latin literary studies and Roman social history: how do we evaluate evidence for Roman culture when it is packaged in satire? To what extent does Juvenal’s poetry encode the actual prejudices of Roman elites? And what weight should we give to Juvenal’s perspective when assessing the relevance and significance of Classical literature in the contemporary world? Curtis Dozier.

Prerequisite(s): GRST 246 or permission of the instructor

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS