”Africans” in History & Epic

Catalog description

In this advanced Latin reading course, we will examine the Roman presentation of ‘othered’ ethnic groups in and around the Roman province of Africa, especially the Carthaginians, Numidians and ‘Mauretanians’, in the Dido episodes of Vergil’s Aeneid Books 1, 4 and 6, the first book of Livy’s third decade (Book 21) and Sallust’s Jugurthine War. Through translation, extensive class discussion, and scholastic inquiry, instructor and students will expand our language skills and our understanding of historiographical and poetic interpretation, anthropological constructions of foreign enemy cultures, and Roman historical legendizing. Prerequisite: LAT 203 or approved equivalent. Offered alternate years.