Readings in Latin Literature (310-0-1)
Topic
The Pumpkinification of the Emperor Claudius
Instructors
Francesca Tataranni
847/491-8029
Kresge Hall 4363
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
On October 13, 54 CE, the Roman emperor Claudius died, allegedly poisoned by his wife Agrippina. His death was kept silent until she had made arrangements for her son Nero to succeed to Claudius. He was buried with regal pomp and accorded divine honors. What happened next "in heaven" is narrated in the only surviving example of prose-and-verse satire from the Roman world.
This course focuses on the relationship between literature and power in the age of the emperor Nero. The primary materials will consist of a close reading of the "Apocolocyntosis", a satirical pamphlet attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca lampooning the death and deification of the emperor Claudius, along with selected passages from Seneca's "De Clementia", a treatise written by Nero's tutor and advisor with the stated aim of depicting the ideal ruler for the recently acclaimed young emperor. While conducting a literary and historical analysis of these texts, we will address questions of genre, political ideology, and dissent. Students enrolled in the class will work collaboratively to produce a translation suitable for a staged reading of the "Apocolocyntosis", the most mordant political satire on a Roman Emperor that has come down to us from the Early Empire and one of the funniest and most baffling products of the Neronian age.
Class Materials (Required)
No textbook required.
Class Notes
There is no waitlist for this course.
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area