3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

What is the role of fiction and play in expressing identity in a society? Play in the Greek world was synonymous with the values of ‘high’ intellectual pursuits, namely, paideia, the Greek word for education and culture. Works defined by playfulness make up an artistic epoch of Greek literature written under the Roman Empire commonly known as the ‘Second Sophistic.’ This course introduces students to this world and its cultural artifacts. It introduces students to specific categories of fiction as a way into understanding identity. The class examines a series of fictional genres and styles: Latin picaresque, Greek ideal erotic fiction, epistolary fiction, travelogues, and the autobiography. The purpose of the class is to be able to understand these works as cultural artifacts whose form and content express discourses about identity - of ethnicity and the 'home,' gender and sexuality, colonialism and class - while appreciating the rebellious fun of these works. All sources are provided in English and no experience or background in Classics is required to participate in the course. Dean's Prize Teaching Fellowship Course.