Ancient authors were fascinated by the passions. They are a central concern in practically every genre and discipline: drama, poetry, philosophy, and rhetoric. But attitudes differed widely: philosophers showed how disruptive they could be to our lives, poets often seem to celebrate them, and rhetoricians saw their potential as tools of persuasion. This semester we will focus on four central passions, anger, love, fear and joy, and examine how they are represented in a range of different texts (in translation).

Course Requirements:

2 papers and a final project

Intended Audience:

Requires prior knowledge of subject

Class Format:

2 meetings per week