GRST 181 - Friendship and Love in the Ancient World

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as WFQS 181) Alongside romantic love (which often receives more artistic attention), friendships are some of the most significant relationships we experience. Not coincidentally, representations of these relationships (and the ways in which different forms of love can overlap) abound in popular culture: Think of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Frodo and Samwise, Glinda and Elphaba. This course traces personal, political, and ethical perspectives on friendship in ancient Greece and Rome, following notable duos like Achilles and Patroclus, Orestes and Pylades, Caesar and Brutus, and more. Throughout the class, we examine ancient and modern philosophies of friendship and consider what they might tell us about the friendships featured in epic, tragedy, history, and other genres of ancient literature. We ask how these authors defined friendship, how they navigated the lines between friendship and desire, and what they had to say about how politics, gender, money, war, and status shape these complex interpersonal relationships. We also think about what is at stake in the stories a culture tells itself about exemplary friends. Rachel Morrison.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS