Course Description
Ancient prose fiction (in English translation), including the Latin novels of Petronius and Apuleius and examples of the Greek novel. Topics include the relationship between the novel and other literary genres, the social and intellectual background of the authors, the themes of love, travel, and magic, and the novel's audience.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students must present class reports and write longer, more sophisticated papers.
Athena Title
Ancient Novel
Prerequisite
CLAS 1000 or CLAS 1000E or CLAS 1000H or CLAS 1010 or CLAS 1010E or CLAS 1010H or CLAS 1020 or CLAS 1020E or CLAS 1020H or CLAS 3000 or CLAS 3010 or CLAS(ANTH) 3015 or CLAS(ANTH) 3015E or CLAS 3030 or CLAS 3040 or CLAS3050 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The students will be able to: 1. recognize and identify the conventions and typical motifs of ancient prose fiction; 2. understand the relationship between prose fiction and other genres of ancient literature; 3. use prose fiction to reconstruct social and intellectual life in the ancient world; 4. engage in critical analysis and synthesis of literary, cultural and historical evidence in ancient prose fiction; 5. produce writing appropriate to the subject of ancient prose fiction and to the discipline of classics.
Topical Outline
I. The world of the novel: the early Roman empire A. Rome and the provinces B. Education and literature C. The spiritual world D. Daily life II. Greek prose fiction A. Forerunners in Greek literature: Odyssey, Herodotus, Xenophon, Menander B. The varieties of Greek prose fiction 1. "Ideal romance" of love and adventure 2. Travel-story 3. "Historical" fiction: the "Alexander-romance" 4. Comic parody 5. Pastoral romance III. Roman prose fiction A. Forerunners in Latin literature: epic, rhetoric, philosophy, satire B. Petronius, Satyrica: anti-heroes and freedmen C. Apuleius, Metamorphoses (Golden Ass): magic and conversion IV. The ancient novel and the ancient world A. The authors B. The readers C. The characters V. The survival of the ancient novel