Ovid

LATIN 534

This seminar is a selective survey of the works of Ovid, one of the most prolific of the Latin poets, whose surviving oeuvre - e.g., Amores, Heroides, Ars Amatoria, Metamorphoses, Fasti, Tristia - covers a diverse range of subjects and genres, most notably elegy and epic. Born just after Julius Caesar's assassination, Ovid was the youngest of the "Augustan" poets, and in many ways was the first truly Imperial Latin poet. Ovid's edgy and provocative style likely contributed to his exile from Rome in 8 CE, and continues generate controversy over his depictions of rape and violence. We will study substantial selections from one or two of his works in their individual contexts and through discussion of their scholarly and popular reception. We will supplement weekly translation and scansion with sight translation, secondary readings, reports, and a final project based on preparing and presenting an SCS-style conference panel. PREREQ: GRADUATE STANDING IN CLASSICS OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR.
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