Greek and Roman Literature

Gender, Power, Deity, Magic
(Greek and Roman Literature in Translation)

Classical Studies

Welcome to CLA 209, Greek and Roman Literature in Translation.

CLA 209 is an introduction to major works of Greek and Roman literature, often clustered around a particular theme. In this section, we will focus on two interwoven themes: (1) the ways in which the gods, fate, and magic affect human lives, and how humans can guide or manipulate them for the best (or fail to do so); and (2) how men’s and women’s gender roles and gendered interactions affect the ways in which they respond to the gods, fate, and magic. We will study how these themes appear in many different varieties of literature, from conventional literature such as epic and poetry, to less conventional sources, such as historiographies, ghost stories, novels, travel narratives, and magic spells.

This course will provide you with an appreciation of the context, significance, and cultural background of this body of literature and tools for interpreting it in the light of both ancient and modern cultures. We will study differences between the cultures and locales that produced it, and its purposes and reception within its own societies. We will also track the social and cultural differences that created the context for changes in these areas. We will frame all of this with more general study of the interactions of traditional forms and individual creative voice in Classical literature; and explore modern variations on the literature’s themes. Our studies will incorporate creative reinterpretation and performance as well as critical and analytical approaches.