Time Schedule:
Deborah E. Kamen
LATIN 405
Seattle Campus
Seminar on a broadly defined topic in classics. Includes reading in Latin or Greek as appropriate for individual students. Additional readings of works in English translation and works of scholarship chosen to give undergraduate majors familiarity with research methods and perspective on the discipline.
Class description
According to Phaedrus, the genre of fables was invented as a coded language through which slaves could freely express their thoughts. And, in fact, it's not a coincidence that the two most famous fable-tellers of antiquity, Phaedrus and Aesop, were both freed slaves! In this seminar, we will investigate the evidence for the lives of these two fabulists and explore the meanings their fables may have had for their ancient audiences. In addition to reading fables attributed to these two fabulists, we will also examine the role of fables embedded in Greek and Latin literature, including passages of Hesiod, Aristophanes, Plato, Horace, and Apuleius.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
This class is designed for Greek, Latin, Classics, and Classical Studies majors. All students will read the assigned ancient texts in English; in addition, Greek majors will read approximately 1000 lines in Greek, Latin majors approximately 1000 lines in Latin, and Classics majors approximately 500 lines in each language (to be selected from the ancient texts assigned in English). Each student will complete an individual research project culminating in a final paper (12-15 pages).
