LATN 395 - Topics in Advanced Latin Literature

FDR: HL
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: LATN 202 or instructor consent. Selected subject areas in Latin literature. The topic selected varies from year to year. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2014 Topic:

LATN 395: Roman Religion Through Poetic Texts (3). For the Romans, religion was everywhere. Grand temples lined the public spaces; houses had shrines to the household gods; politics and religion were closely linked, and literary texts have left us with some of the richest evidence for Roman religious practice. This course provides an introduction to the main features of traditional Roman religion through Latin poetry. We are going to examine Roman hymns and prayers, reflections on the relationships between gods and mortals, responses to magic and folk religion, and a poetic account of Roman religious festivals. Throughout we are going to ask ourselves how the texts portray the gods, how different genres create a space for religious material, and how these texts both shape and reflect the diversity of lived religious experiences in the Roman world. Readings will be primarily drawn from Catullus, Horace, and Ovid. (HL) Köster. Winter 2014