T-Th 1:10-2:30, SC 339
Spring 1998
Jim O'Hara, SC 329, x2066, johara

1. TH Jan. 22. Introduction: you; me; the course; epic from Homer to Statius and beyond
2. T Jan 27. Greek Background: Homer, Hesiod, Callimachus, Apollonius; taste of Greek
Read "Introduction: The Roman Song" in Boyle (1993) 1-18, Homer summaries (h.o.), Apollonius h.o.; check out dept. and course web pages
3. TH Jan 29. Roman background: Livius, Naevius, Ennius, Catullus; taste of Latin
Read somewhat casually Goldberg, "Saturnian Epic: Livius and Naevius," = Boyle 19-36
Read carefully Dominik, "From Greece to Rome: Ennius' Annales," = Boyle 37-56
Read Ennius fragments (h.o.), Catullus 32, 35, 95, 101 and esp. 68 (68 is a good warm-up for 64)
Always read the Intro to your translations
4. T Feb 3. Read with great care Catullus 64 (the Peleus and Thetis)
Read Konstan, "Neoteric Epic: Catullus 64" = Boyle 59-78
Read (against Konstan) Courtney, "Moral Judegments in Catullus 64"
Report: Forsyth: "Catullus 64: Dionysus Reconsidered" ________________
Note: see separate sheet for lists of report-givers and class experts
5. Th Feb 5. Vergil, Aeneid Books 1-3
Read Poschl 13-33, Parry "The Two Voices of Virgil's Aeneid"
Report: Quint, Epic and Empire pp. 50-65 (on memory and on Aen. 3) ___________
Optional only: Boyle, "The Canonic Text: Vergil's Aeneid" = 79-107 in Boyle
6. T Fen 10 Aeneid 4-6
Read Rudd, "Dido's Culpa ['Guilt']," in Harrison (1990)
Read Perkell, "On Creusa, Dido, and the Quality of Victory in Virgil's Aeneid"
Report, Laird, "Approaching Characterisation in Virgil" (some on Dido) __________
*Note that T, Th assignments will often be same length; get ahead over weekend?
7. TH Feb 12. Aeneid 7-9
Read Feeney, The Gods in Epic 162-72 (on Allecto)
Read Zetzel, "Rome and its Traditions" Report? ______________ .
Class 8 T Feb 17. Aeneid 10-12
Read Putnam, "The Hesitation of Aeneas," in Putnam (1995): 152-166
Read (against Putnam et al.) Otis (1964): 370-382
Report, Johnson, Darkness Visible 114-23 (or 114-134) (on opening of 12 etc.)
Class 9 Th Feb 19. 2-page paper on Aeneid (you may bring in Cat 64 as well) due; flexible assigned topic will be given to you a week ahead. We will read aloud and discuss several of these in class. Do not miss this class.
Class 10 T Feb 24. Lucretius, De Rerum Natura ("On the Nature of Things") Bks 1-2
Read OCD on Lucr. (x); intro to translation, and Clay 212-38 (x)
Report Gale 106-14 (or 106-28) on Lucretius and epic
Th Feb 26 no class?? During the first half of the term we will probably have one class free when IÕm out of town (i.e there is no class # 13) ; this may necessitate some rearranging. Possibly we can shift this day off to March 5 (before break)
Class 11. T March 3? De Rerum Natura 3-4
Read Nussbaum 164-87 (part of chapter on "L. and the therapy of love")
Report: Segal chapter 8 "... Death in the Perspective of Time and Eternity"
Class 12. Th March 5? De Rerum Natura 5-6
Read Clay 250-66 (the plague and the end of the poem)
Report: Farrell, "The Structure of Lucretius' 'Anthropology' (DRN 5.771-1457)."
SPRING BREAK
14. T March 24 Ovid, Metamorphoses Books 1-4
Read Anderson, "Form Changed: Ovid's Metamorphoses"= Boyle 108-24
**5-page paper on anything from first half of term due at start of class (not read aloud!)
15. TH March 26 Metamorphoses 5-8
16. T March 31 Metamorphoses 9-12
17. TH April 2 Metamorphoses 13-15
18. T April 7 2-page paper due on assigned (flexible) topic on Ovid; read in class
19. TH April 9 Lucan Pharsalia (or Bellum Civile, "Civil War") Books 1-2
Read Ahl, "Form Empowered: Lucan's Pharsalia" = Boyle 125-42
20. T April 14 Pharsalia 3-5
21.Th April 16 Pharsalia 6-7
22. T April 21 Pharsalia 8-10
Classes 23-25: Statius, Thebaid Selections TBA Read Henderson, "Form Remade/ Statius' Thebaid," = Boyle 162-189
Clases 25 (end) and 26: brief reports on your topics and methods and plans for final papers.
M May 11: first day of exams: 8-12 pp. (pref. 10) page paper on topic of your own choosing due at noon. Anyone with an exam M can have an extension until M midnight.