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Instruction Language: Latin
Day & Time: Thursdays, 10:30–12:00 EDT / 16:30–18:00 CET/CEST.
Course Duration: * Start Date: June 4, 2026
End Date: August 20, 2026
Lesson Structure:
Duration: 90 minutes per session
Total Instructional Hours: 18 hours total
Abstract: This course offers a comprehensive survey of Roman satire, the only literary genre the Romans claimed as entirely indigenous. Quintilian's famous declaration—satura tota nostra est—serves as the point of departure for a sustained exploration of how satire became one of Rome's most distinctive and enduring literary legacies.
Comprehensive Description: Students will analyze selections from the genre's most influential voices in chronological order, tracing the evolution of Roman satire from its origins to its most sophisticated expressions. We begin with Lucilius, the genre's progenitor, who established the uncompromising libertas (freedom of speech) that defines the tradition. We then examine how Horace refined and domesticated the form, transforming it into a subtle instrument of ethical observation; how Persius infused it with dense Stoic intensity; and finally, how Juvenal transformed it into a vehicle for magnificent indignatio.
Thematic Focus: Participants will develop a technical vocabulary for discussing Roman society and the motifs central to the satirical tradition—urban life, feasting, political power, censorship, and the frustrations of the quotidiana. Close attention will be paid to philological dimensions, specifically the dactylic hexameter and the rhetorical strategies employed to achieve satirical effect. While focused on antiquity, the seminar will briefly address the genre’s reception history to illuminate the lasting cultural resonance of these ancient texts.
Language Level:
Framework Reference: Intended for students with an intermediate command of Latin. Completion of Chapter 41 of Roma Aeterna is highly recommended.
General Description: Intermediate. Designed for students who can read simple prose with ease and engage in active dialogue in the target language.
Estimated Self-Study Time:
Time Commitment: 3–4 hours per week.
Preparation Type: Students are expected to complete a preliminary reading of the primary text or assigned secondary scholarship prior to each session.
Required Textbooks:
Primary Text: Catherine Keane, A Roman Verse Satire Reader: Selections from Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal (Bolchazy-Carducci).
Disclaimer: The acquisition of the physical or digital editions of the required textbooks is mandatory for course participation. Please ensure materials are secured prior to the first session.
Further Reading:
Kirk Freudenburg, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire (Cambridge, 2005).
Susanna Morton Braund, Beyond Anger: A Study of Juvenal's Third Book of Satires (Cambridge, 1988).
Emily Gowers, ed., Horace: Satires Book I (Cambridge, 2012).
Instruction Language: Latin
Day & Time: Thursdays, 10:30–12:00 EDT / 16:30–18:00 CET/CEST.
Course Duration: * Start Date: June 4, 2026
End Date: August 20, 2026
Lesson Structure:
Duration: 90 minutes per session
Total Instructional Hours: 18 hours total
Abstract: This course offers a comprehensive survey of Roman satire, the only literary genre the Romans claimed as entirely indigenous. Quintilian's famous declaration—satura tota nostra est—serves as the point of departure for a sustained exploration of how satire became one of Rome's most distinctive and enduring literary legacies.
Comprehensive Description: Students will analyze selections from the genre's most influential voices in chronological order, tracing the evolution of Roman satire from its origins to its most sophisticated expressions. We begin with Lucilius, the genre's progenitor, who established the uncompromising libertas (freedom of speech) that defines the tradition. We then examine how Horace refined and domesticated the form, transforming it into a subtle instrument of ethical observation; how Persius infused it with dense Stoic intensity; and finally, how Juvenal transformed it into a vehicle for magnificent indignatio.
Thematic Focus: Participants will develop a technical vocabulary for discussing Roman society and the motifs central to the satirical tradition—urban life, feasting, political power, censorship, and the frustrations of the quotidiana. Close attention will be paid to philological dimensions, specifically the dactylic hexameter and the rhetorical strategies employed to achieve satirical effect. While focused on antiquity, the seminar will briefly address the genre’s reception history to illuminate the lasting cultural resonance of these ancient texts.
Language Level:
Framework Reference: Intended for students with an intermediate command of Latin. Completion of Chapter 41 of Roma Aeterna is highly recommended.
General Description: Intermediate. Designed for students who can read simple prose with ease and engage in active dialogue in the target language.
Estimated Self-Study Time:
Time Commitment: 3–4 hours per week.
Preparation Type: Students are expected to complete a preliminary reading of the primary text or assigned secondary scholarship prior to each session.
Required Textbooks:
Primary Text: Catherine Keane, A Roman Verse Satire Reader: Selections from Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal (Bolchazy-Carducci).
Disclaimer: The acquisition of the physical or digital editions of the required textbooks is mandatory for course participation. Please ensure materials are secured prior to the first session.
Further Reading:
Kirk Freudenburg, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire (Cambridge, 2005).
Susanna Morton Braund, Beyond Anger: A Study of Juvenal's Third Book of Satires (Cambridge, 1988).
Emily Gowers, ed., Horace: Satires Book I (Cambridge, 2012).
