Classical Studies 308 - Classical Epic: Homer, Vergil, and Ovid

Classical epic embraced a tragic view of the world. People of that era were compelled to confront their own mortality and frailties by the harsh conditions of war, famine, disease, political instability, and the dangers of childbearing, much more directly than moderns do. As a result, epic poets, such as Homer, Vergil, and Ovid, offered conflicting visions of hope blended with pessimism for how to meet the challenges posed by such precarious conditions. This course provides an opportunity to evaluate the tragic nature of the modern world by comparison with the cultures that created much of our own basic framework for thinking about politics and the human condition in that pessimistic light.

This course is open to juniors and seniors