CLU23206 Virgil's Aeneid
Virgil's Aeneid is one of the most influential works in world literature, and a poem which has given rise to strikingly different interpretations. In this module you will consider some of these interpretations in their context, examine Virgil’s narrative and style, and discuss the relevance and resonance of the poem in the worlds of its readers. The seminars will focus on aspects of epic as a genre and on broader themes such as identity, faith and freedom, achievement and failure.
- Module Organiser:
- Professor Anna Chahoud and Dr Charlie Kerrigan
- Duration:
- One Term (Jan - Apr)
- Contact Hours:
- 19 hours (8 lectures, 8 lecture-seminars, 3 small-group seminars)
- Weighting:
- 5 ECTS
- Assessment:
- 30% Online or seminar exercise requiring active participation, 70% 2-hr written examination
Text
- Virgil, Aeneid, translated by Stanley Lombardo (Indianapolis/Cambridge Hackett 2005).
Introductory Reading
- Alden Smith, R. (2011) Virgil, Blackwell Introductions to the Classical World (Wiley-Blackwell)
- Farrell, J. & Putnam, M.C.J. (2010) A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition (Wiley-Blackwell)
- Morwood, J. (2007) Virgil, A Poet in Augustan Rome, Greece & Rome Texts & Contexts (Cambridge)
- Perkell, C. G. (ed.) (1999) Reading Virgil's Aeneid: An Interpretive Guide (Oklahoma Un. Pr.)
- Ross, D. O. (2007) Virgil’s Aeneid: A Reader’s Guide (Wiley-Blackwell)
Learning Outcomes
On successful conclusion of this module, students should be able to:
- Discuss the content, style and major themes of, and influences on, Virgil's epic poetry
- Situate the text in the contexts of its production and reception in antiquity and beyond, through serious engagement with the secondary literature
- Make critical use of secondary sources and present a coherent argument both orally and in writing