GRST 341 - Topics in Latin Literature

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2015/16b: Myths of Marriage. The course centers upon two mythological narratives in which idyllic descriptions of marriage are combined with tales of unhappy love or frivolous sexuality. We begin with poem 64 of Catullus, his longest poem-a “mini-epic” on the marriage of Peleus and Thetis that also includes the tragic tale of Ariadne’s abandonment by Theseus. Second, from Apuleius’ novel, The Metamorphoses (or Golden Ass), we read of the marriage of Cupid and Psyche, whose devotion contrasts with the stories of lust and adultery that pervade the rest of the novel. We discuss the representation of sexual desire, love, and marriage in these two narratives and how, via allegory or other means, they comment in general on the human condition. Mr. Brown.

Prerequisite: GRST 246 or permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.