Sunoikisis Latin 292/392: Literature of the Late RepublicSyllabus, Fall 2014Seminar Consultant: T. Corey Brennan (Rutgers University)Course Director: Ryan C. Fowler (CHS)This work by the Sunoikisis consortium is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Syllabus Authors:

Ronnie Ancona is a professor at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

T. Corey Brennan is an associate professor of Classics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

D. Ben DeSmidt is an associate professor of Great Ideas and Classics at Carthage College.

Ryan C. Fowler is the Sunoikisis fellow in curricular development at the Center for Hellenic Studies.

Heather Waddell Gruber is an assistant professor of classical studies at Concordia College.

Molly Pasco-Pranger is an associate professor and chair of classics, University of Mississippi.

Danilo Piana is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Classics at the Johns Hopkins University.

Ben Hicks received his Ph.D from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Julie Langford is an associate professor at University of South Florida. Joseph Romero is an associate professor at the University of Mary Washington. Lindsay Samson is the Romola Hardy lecturer in classics Susan Satterfield is an assistant professor at Rhodes College. Bryce Walker is an assistant professor at Sweet Briar College

Included in this syllabus: a course overview, a bibliography, a schedule of assignments, and discussion questions.

I. COURSE OVERVIEWMeeting TimesAll common sessions will occur on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 Eastern Time. Weeks are listed starting on Wednesday of the week before each common session. Students should complete all listed readings in the week before the common session and respond to posted study questions by midnight Saturday in advance of the common session, so that faculty and other students will have the opportunity to review responses. Participating faculty members and students will determine their

own times for the on-campus tutorial sessions.Course DescriptionThis course, making extensive use of resources available via the internet, focuses on Latin prose and poetry from the late Roman Republic. This course is specifically designed for advanced students and will include a rigorous study of cultural and historical contexts during the 50s and 40s BCE in Rome. Students will also become familiar with current interpretative approaches to the material, as well as how political and philosophical literature interrelated during this period.The literature of the late Republic reflects the brilliance of the literary landscape as well as the crises brewing around Caesar, Catullus, Cicero, Lucretius, and Sallust—some of the most extraordinary Latin writers of the 50s and 40s BCE.Students will participate in a weekly webcast lecture, an on-line discussion moderated by faculty members from participating institutions, and weekly tutorials with faculty members at their home institutions.

Course ObjectivesStudents in this course will further develop their skills in the Latin language, while at the same time acquiring and refining advanced skills in critical reading and writing.Most of the instruction in the Latin language for this course will take place at the home institutions. Common sessions will often refer to the primary texts in Latin for the course and reinforce the use of the language that takes place in preparation for and during the tutorial sessions.Common sessions will focus on the historical and social background of the literature, analytical and methodological approaches to the readings, and questions concerning genre and publication, which all contribute to the interpretation and understanding of the readings. Preparation for and participation in the common sessions will contribute to the development of the students' ability to read critically, write clearly, and contribute productively to an ongoing discussion about the texts.By completing the weekly writing assignment, students will demonstrate their ability to read critically and apply analytical and interpretative approaches in the process of developing an understanding of Latin literature.

Course Components

Preparation: As noted below, readings are organized by common session, and students should read all assigned primary texts before the common session (ideally before answering the corresponding writing prompt). Students who choose to take this course at the 292 rather than 392 level will be responsible for less reading in Latin but will be expected to complete all of the reading in English.Common Sessions: Tuesday, 7-8:15 PM EST. Students at all participating institutions will meet together online for a common session via multipoint interactive video-conferencing and a chat room. These interactive sessions have a different faculty leader each week and typically combine mini-lectures with discussion, questions, and exercises.Study Questions: Responses to the study questions are due Saturday by midnight; between then and the common session, please provide at least one substantial comment on the posts of two other students. Your comments should be at least fifty to seventy-five words in length. The study questions afford students the opportunity to expand on and synthesize issues that arise in the reading and common session, as well as engage with secondary literature. (Students may be asked to complete additional reading in English or in Latin for the study questions.)Due Dates and Times for Discussion Questions: Initial answers to study prompts are due midnight EST on Saturdays, and responses to other students' answers are due before that week’s Common Session.

The Forum grading rubric can be found here.Tutorials: Ideally, each student will meet for at least one hour every week with a mentor at her or his home institution. The faculty member and students on each campus will determine the times and locations of these meetings. Students are responsible for contacting their faculty mentors and finalizing the details of their weekly meetings, which will focus more closely on the language, translation and interpretation of assigned readings. Faculty members on each campus will the final authority for the grades for the students on their campuses.Examinations:Translation exams and quizzes will take place at the home institutions.Dates: The inter-institutional phase of the course will begin September 8 and conclude on December 10. Individual campuses may begin before September 8 and conclude after December 10.

Students should consult with their faculty mentors for further information.Grading: For students in Latin 292, grades will be based on the following components:

Class preparation and work in tutorial: 40%Participation in the study questions: 30%Midterm examination: 15%Final examination: 15%

For students in Latin 392, grades will be based on the following components:Class preparation and work in tutorial: 30%Participation in the study questions: 30%Midterm examination: 20%Final examination: 20%

II. BIBLIOGRAPHYPrimary TextsD.R. Shackleton Bailey. Cicero's Letters to Atticus, Vol. 1, Cambridge.D.R. Shackleton Bailey. Cicero's Letters to Atticus, Vol. 3, Cambridge.

III. SCHEDULEWeek 1 (9/10-9/16)

Primary Readings:

English reading (292): Cicero Ad Atticum 13.52, 14.1Latin reading (392): Cicero Ad Atticum 13.52, 14.1, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5Latin reading (292): Cicero Ad Atticum 14.3, 14.4, 14.5D.R. Shackleton Bailey Commentary on 13.52 and 14.1-5  

Secondary Readings:

J. Osgood, "Soldiers and a statesman" in Caesar's Legacy: Civil War and the Emergence of the Roman Empire (Cambridge, 2006), 12-19, 25-43, and 56-61.

Writing Prompt:

In *150-200* words, fully discuss the following prompt by midnight Saturday (EST):

It is March 16th 44 BCE. Caesar is dead, and it is not clear who will emerge to take his place. What general or politician would you chose to support? (Marcus Junius) Brutus? Mark Antony? Sextus Pompey? Octavian? Explain your choice. Make sure

to read the Osgood selections before making a decision.

Common Session (9/16):

"The Crisis" by Susan Satterfield and Lindsay Samson

Week 2 (9/17-9/23)Primary

Readings:English: Cicero Ad Atticum 1.1.3-5, 1.2Latin: Cicero Ad Atticum 1.1.1-2D. R. Shackleton Bailey Commentary

Secondary Readings:

1 Catherine Steel, "The Limits of Autocracy" and "The End of the Republic," in The End of the Roman Republic 146 to 44 BC: Conquest and Crisis (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2013), 121-150.

23 John A. North, "The Constitution of the Roman

Republic," in A Companion to the Roman Republic, edited by Nathan Rosenstein and Robert Morstein-Marx (Oxford : Blackwell, 2006), 256-277

Writing Prompt:

 This week we are moving from one period of uncertainty (44 BCE) to another (the mid 60's BCE). The Social War and Sulla are in the recent past, Caesar's career is just beginning, and Pompey is far and away the most powerful person in Rome. Cicero, having completed his praetorship, but having refused an appointment in the provinces, is considering running for the consulship. Fortuitously we have Cicero's letter to Atticus, dated to the middle of July 65, that gives us a view into his early concerns about his candidacy for the consulship of 63. Using evidence from the letter explain what a candidate needs to take into account both generally and with regard to that particular period. In your response be sure to cite specific examples from Cicero's concerns for his candidacy (1.1.1), his assessment of the election for 64 (1.1.2), and the supplementary reading on the Roman Government and the historical circumstances of the early first century BCE.

Common Session ( 9/25 ):

"Government and Politics" by Bryce Walker

Week 3 (9/24-9/30)

Primary Readings:

English: Commentariolum Petitionis (whole); Suetonius Divus Augustus   28.3-30 (especially 28.3).Latin: Catullus 49; Commentariolum Petitionis: §§1, 2, 16, 21, 34, 46, 53-57, 58.

Secondary Readings:

1 Diane Favro The Urban Image of Augustan Rome Figures 19 and 36; read pp. 24-52.

23 Karl Galinksy Augustus: Introduction to the Life of

an Emperor, pp. 144-158.

Writing Prompt:

You've read enough of the unguarded Cicero to this point where you should have some sense of his personality.  If you are Cicero, how are you supposed to feel or react to being the recipient of Cat. 49 and the so-called Commentariolum Petitionis (assuming the latter is authentic)?  

Be specific: which parts of the letters you have read would give you the idea that Cicero might be open to—or, alternatively, repelled by—Catullus or his brother's sentiments?  And which parts of Catullus and the CP would he find a challenge to, or in keeping with—his (private or public) character?

Common Session (9/30):

"Vrbs Latericia : The City of Rome Before Augustus " by Joseph Romero

Week 4 (10/1-10/7)

Primary Readings:

Latin: Catullus 1, 9, 13, 14, 30, 50; on the neoteroi: Cicero ad Atticum 7.2.1, Tusc. 3.45In translation: Catullus 6, 12, 14, 22 (49 assigned last week in translation)

Secondary Readings:F. Cairns, "Catullus 1," Mnemosyne 22 (1969) 153-58

Writing Prompt:

*Spoiler Alert!* Social bonds in the political and private spheres in Rome during the Late Republic will be the main focus of this week's common session. In preparation for Wednesday, I would like you to consider and reflect on the different nuances that the concept of friendship takes on in the poetry of

Catullus. After reading the primary sources, please answer the following questions in your discussion post:

Based on Catullus' perspective on friendship, did the Romans have values completely different from ours? Substantiate your argument by providing at least 3 examples from the poems (all quotations in Latin, please).

What would Catullus' definition of friendship be? Does it resonate with your own personal experience? If so, how?

Common Session (10/7):

"Social Bonds" by Danilo Piana [presentation]

Week 5 (10/8-10/14)

Primary Readings:

Latin: Catullus 10, 11, 16, 28, 29, 57Try to read as much of it as you can in Latin, and the rest in translation.

Secondary Readings:

M.B. Skinner, "Parasites and Strange Bedfellows: A Study in Catullus' Political Imagery," Ramus 8 (1979): 137-152

Writing Prompt:

Based on the primary and secondary readings for this week, in 250-300 words discuss some of the ways in which sex, power, and poetry intersect in Catullus. First, consider the first and last lines (same line repeated) of Poem 16. Explain how this line, in the context of the poem, is about sexual activity, power relations, and poetry, and not just one of them. Then find two other examples from the readings of Catullus using sexual language in conjunction with issues of power and/or poetry. Be sure to cite the Latin text for all of the points you make in your response. The purpose of this writing prompt is for you to see for yourself that Catullus' sexual language should not be seen in isolation from other issues that emerge from his poetry.

Common Session (10/14):

"Sex, Power, Poetry" by Ronnie Ancona [presentation pdf]

Week 6 (10/15-10/21)

Primary Readings:

Latin: Cicero QFr. 2.9 [10] (scroll down page to the section) (131 words); Lucretius 1.1-49, 5.1107-1135 (501 words)

Writing Prompt:

Epicureans believed that the gods remained aloof from mortal affairs. In a letter to his friend Menoeceus, Epicurus writes:"A god is an immortal and happy being. This is well-known, but do not believe anything about divine nature other than what is congenial for an eternally happy existence. The gods do exist because we have preconceived notions of them, but they are not like how most people describe them. Most people embellish their notions of the gods with false beliefs. They credit the gods for delivering rewards and punishments because they commend those who share their own ways and condemn those who do not. Rejecting the popular myths does not make one impious; preaching them is what demonstrates impiety."Discuss how Lucretius responds to this sentiment in his Proem. Is there anything particularly Roman about his approach? Or does he subvert Roman beliefs about the gods? Why might he chose Venus, goddess of love? Does he allude to other poets or authors? If so, how does this complicate what he is saying?

Common Session (10/21):

"Philosophy" by Lindsay Samson

Week 7 (10/22-10/28)

Primary Readings:

Latin (392): Lucretius 6.1163 (Nec nimio cuiquam posses ardore tueri) to end (773 words)Latin (292): Lucretius 6.1208 (Et graviter partim metuentes limina leti) to end (491 words)

Secondary Readings:

M. Beard, J. North, S. R. F. Price, Religions of Rome (Cambridge, 1998), pp. 114-140.

Writing Prompt:

In 250-300 words, fully discuss one of the following discussion questions by midnight Saturday (EST):1. Many people (ancient Romans and modern

scholars alike) present Roman religion as in decline in the late Republic. What is the evidence for this claim? Why were many Roman thinkers attracted to the idea of decline? According to the excerpt from Beard, North, and Price, why is this story of decline problematic? What do you think of their argument? 2. In Book 6, at the very end of the De rerum natura, Lucretius discusses the plague of Athens in great detail. Many people believe that this work was left incomplete - that Lucretius would have added more had he not committed suicide (as some ancient sources claim). What point/points is he trying to make in his description of the plague? What is he saying about religion and the gods? How do his views contradict traditional Roman views on religion? Can you think of any reasons why this would be an appropriate ending to the poem?

Common Session (10/28):

"Religion" by Susan Satterfield

Week 8 (10/29-11/4)Primary

Readings:Latin (392): de Bello Gallico 6.11-16 (871 words)Latin (292): de Bello Gallico 6.11-15 (767 words)

Writing Prompt:

When we encounter another human being in person, we immediately notice the distinctive qualities of their voice, not merely the sound of the voice, but also factors such as the pace of their speech, and even the way in which they are presenting themselves (an authority, a friend, the happy-go-lucky and giddy uncle). In the course so far, we have encountered Cicero, Lucretius, Catullus, and now approach Caesar. This writing prompt is divided into two parts in an effort not only to help you understand the voice of their authors, but your own voice in the writing process as well.First, in addition to Caesar, select one previous author of this term. Write one paragraph analyzing the voice of Caesar as you find him in the Gallic Wars. Write this using your basic student voice, as you understand yourself. In the second paragraph, analyze the voice of the previous author, but in this

case, rethink your own voice as a person. Invent a different character with a different background, history, and therefore distinctive writing style. Ask yourself what kinds of knowledge does this person have and what kinds of things do they care about? Then write the analysis in the second paragraph from that invented character's perspective. Spend approximately 125-150 words on each paragraph.

Common Session (11/4):

"Voice and Persona" by Ben Hicks

Week 9 (11/5-11/11)

Primary Readings:

Latin (392): Caes. BG 1.1, 6.24, 6.26-7;   Cic. Sulla 22- 25Latin (292): Caes. BG 1.1, 6.24;   Cic. Sulla 22-25 English: Caes. BG 6.11-28; Sall. BJ 17-19; Cic. Sulla 21-25; Cic. de Leg. 2.2-3

Writing Prompt:

These passages were selected to consider the politics of being considered an outsider in Roman society and culture. Choose one of the following questions on which to write your response: (1) To what extent does Caesar (and Sallust) provide us with accurate information of the Gauls and Germans, or to what extent does he (do they) use(s) the exotic nature of their societies and environments for his own ideological purposes? Be sure to identify what you think those ideological purposes are. (2) What rhetoric do you see employed to make Cicero (whom some would consider the quintessential Roman) into *tertius peregrinus rex*? How does Cicero counteract those charges? (3) If the Gauls or Germans to were speak back to Caesar, what rhetorical strategies might they use to counter his characterizations of them and their societies?

Common Session (11/11):

"Inside/Outside" by Julie Langford

Week 10 (11/12-11/18)Primary

Readings:Latin (392): Sallust Cat. 51 (1024 words)Latin (292): Sallust Cat. 51 from "Maiores nostri, patres conscripti..." (206 words); Cat. 52 from "Apud maiores nostros..." (206 words); Cat. 53 (187 words).

English: Sallust's   Catiline Secondard Readings:

D. S. Levene, "Sallust's 'Catiline' and Cato the Censor," Classical Quarterly 50 (2000): 170-191.

Writing Prompt:

The last week we spent with Caesar showed us how a person who makes history can also write history. In other forms of literature, we very often think about the relationship between the author and the narrator or the author and the person inside the work of literature who bears the author's name. In the case of Caesar, however, we may be less likely to do this. After all, Caesar is acting in his own history and writes about what he himself has accomplished. But think about the dangers of this kind of writing for a reader. Can we be led, or perhaps misled, to think of history as a straightforward kind of reporting, to not consider carefully how an author--even Caesar--'uses' the past about which the history is written? As you begin to explore Sallust's Catiline, think about how that work urges us to explore such issues. In contrast to Caesar's Commentarii, for instance, Sallust's work begins in a very philosophical tone and the author refers to himself by using the pronoun "I" unlike Caesar's "He." Likewise, consider the amount of time that has passed between the events of the conspiracy and Sallust's own present as well as how far back into Rome's history Sallust takes us.

1. Delve into the "archaeology" of the Catiline, particularly Chapters 9 and 10, where Sallust depicts Rome at its moral zenith. What are the characteristics that lead to the heights of Rome's success, what starts Rome on its decline, and what is the connection between Rome's degeneration and the story of Catiline?

2. With the same question in mind, think about the role of Caesar and Cato within the history, not only as historical figures, but as characters used by Sallust when writing. To answer this question, look carefully at the debate in the senate between Caesar and Cato (Chapters 50-56). Caesar's speech seems

to win the day, until Cato's argument is deemed more persuasive. Does Cato truly respond to Caesar's argument or is he speaking to or for someone else? Whose position do you find more persuasive?

3. When you explore these issues, understanding an author's use of the past becomes much more complicated. Can you see different levels of communication on which Sallust is operating? For instance, since the audience would have known the outcome of the debate between Caesar and Cato, i.e. the history, does the debate play another kind of historical role? Are there ways in which those two monumental figures work more generally to link present-day Rome to the heights of its past? Let yourself explore as a wide a range of issues as possible in your answer.

Common Session (11/18):

"Uses of the Past" by D. Ben DeSmidt

Week 11 (11/19-11/25)

Primary Readings:

Latin (392): Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares 14.2,14.18, ad Atticum 11.24 (930 words)Latin (292): Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares 14.2,14.18 (512 words)

D.R. Shakleton Bailey Commentaries on ad Atticum 11.24 and Epistulae ad Familiares 14.2 and 14.18English (292): ad Atticum 11.24

Secondary Readings:

T. C. Brennan, "Perceptions of Women's Power in the Late Republic: Terentia, Fulvia, and the Generation of 63 BCE," in A Companion to Women in the Ancient World, edited by S. Dillon and S.L. James (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 354-366.

Writing Prompt:

According to T. Corey Brennan, "If we take our sources at their word, the initiative of a small coterie of priestess and magistrates' wives set in motion a series of events that would do much to pull some of the last remaining threads out of the seriously frayed social fabric of the late Republic" (354). An important

case study for Brennan is Terentia, the wife of Cicero, an historical woman about whom we know more than almost any other woman in the Roman world. We have more than 20 letters that Cicero wrote to his wife, as well as numerous letters that he wrote to his friends about his wife.This week's Latin assignment focuses on Terentia. In 58 BCE, Cicero sends a loving and grief-stricken letter (Ad Fam. 14.2) to Terentia recently following his departure into exile. In January 49, at the outbreak of civil war, he writes her with utmost concern for her safey (Ad Fam. 14.18). Two years later Cicero and Terentia divorce. A letter he composes to Atticus in 47 BCE (Ad Att. 11.24) reveals details about one of their many arguments over money.Based on these three letters, in 250-300 words, discuss the sort of influence and power Terentia was capable of wielding. Refer to at least two examples from the translation assignment in your discussion, and be sure to cite the Latin to support your point. Do you think the image of Terentia that emerges from Cicero's letters is based on the historical, lived reality of this woman, or to what extent is this pure literary construct for Cicero's benefit? (Or, as Brennan asks, "can Terentia exist for us without Cicero" [365])?

Common Session (11/25):

"Elite Roman Women" by Julie Langford and Heather Grueber

Thanksgiving Break (11/26-12/2)Week 12 (12/3-12/9)

Secondary Readings:

Bernhard E. Woytek, "The Denarius Coinage of the Roman Republic", in W.E. Metcalf (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage (2012) pp. 315-334.

Writing Prompt:

Please find below images of a dozen or so coins—all silver, of the denarius denomination—from various eras in the middle Roman Republic (211-91 BCE) that show a helmeted female figure on the obverse, conventionally identified as "the goddess Roma."However there is a major sticking point: "contemporary Romans knew no such goddess" (Ernst Badian).Who else might this female figure be,

in your opinion? (Full disclosure: this remains an unsolved puzzle, and there is no "right" answer.)To see many more examples of this mysterious figure, type "helmeted head of Roma" in the search field at http://www.coinarchives.com/a/ [coinarchives.com is the premier online resource for coins on auction 1999-present, more than a few unpublished]. Make sure for each link to “click to enlarge image.”(And while you are thinking: what other major developments do you observe across time on the obverses and reverses of these 'Roma' denarius pieces?)1. Anonymous moneyer. 211-208 BCE. AR (= silver) Denarius. Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage (Cambridge 1974) 44/5 2. Anonymous moneyer. 194-190 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 137/1   3. Anonymous moneyer. 189-180 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 141/14. Furius Purpurio (=moneyer). 169-158 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 187/15. C. Scribonius. 154 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 201/16. C. Junius C. f.   149 BCE.   AR Denarius. Crawford 210/1 7. C. Renius. 138 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 231/18. Sextus Pompeius Faustulus.   137 BCE.   AR Denarius. Crawford 235/1   9. C. Aburius Geminus. 134 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 244/1 10. Cn. Carbo. 121 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 279/1   11. M. Sergius Silus.   116- 115 BCE. AR   Denarius. Crawford 286/1  12. L. Sentius C. f. 101 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 235/1b   13. D. Silanus L. f. 91 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 337/3

Common Session (12/9):

"The Late Roman Republic through Coins" by T. Corey Brennan

IV. FORUM QUESTIONSWeek 1It is March 16th 44 BCE. Caesar is dead, and it is not clear who will emerge to take his place. What general or politician would you chose to support? Brutus? Mark Antony? Sextus Pompey? Octavian? Explain your choice. Make sure to read the Osgood selections before making a decision.

Week 2This week we are moving from one period of uncertainty (44 BCE) to another (the mid 60's BCE). The Social War and Sulla are in the recent past, Caesar's career is just

beginning, and Pompey is far and away the most powerful person in Rome. Cicero, having completed his praetorship, but having refused an appointment in the provinces, is considering running for the consulship. Fortuitously we have Cicero's letter to Atticus, dated to the middle of July 65, that gives us a view into his early concerns about his candidacy for the consulship of 63. Using evidence from the letter explain what a candidate needs to take into account both generally and with regard to that particular period. In your response be sure to cite specific examples from Cicero's concerns for his candidacy (1.1.1), his assessment of the election for 64 (1.1.2), and the supplementary reading on the Roman Government and the historical circumstances of the early first century BCE.

Week 3You've read enough of the unguarded Cicero to this point where you should have some sense of his personality.  If you are Cicero, how are you supposed to feel or react to being the recipient of Cat. 49 and the so-called Commentariolum Petitionis (assuming the latter is authentic)?  

Be specific: which parts of the letters you have read would give you the idea that Cicero might be open to—or, alternatively, repelled by—Catullus or his brother's sentiments? And which parts of Catullus and the CP would he find a challenge to, or in keeping with—his (private or public) character?

Week 4*Spoiler Alert!* Social bonds in the political and private spheres in Rome during the Late Republic will be the main focus of this week's common session. In preparation for Wednesday, I would like you to consider and reflect on the different nuances that the concept of friendship takes on in the poetry of Catullus. After reading the primary sources, please answer the following questions in your discussion post:

Based on Catullus' perspective on friendship, did the Romans have values completely different from ours? Substantiate your argument by providing at least 3 examples from the poems (all quotations in Latin, please).

What would Catullus' definition of friendship be? Does it resonate with your own personal experience? If so, how?

(NB: Please be sure your post is properly formatted!)

Week 5Based on the primary and secondary readings for this week, in 250-300 words discuss some of the ways in which sex, power, and poetry intersect in Catullus. First, consider the first and last lines (same line repeated) of Poem 16. Explain how this line, in the context of the poem, is about sexual activity, power relations, and poetry, and not just one of them. Then find two other examples from the readings of Catullus using sexual language in conjunction with issues of power and/or poetry. Be sure to cite the Latin text for all of the points you make in your response. The purpose of this writing prompt is for you to

see for yourself that Catullus' sexual language should not be seen in isolation from other issues that emerge from his poetry.

Week 6Epicureans believed that the gods remained aloof from mortal affairs. In a letter to his friend Menoeceus, Epicurus writes:

"A god is an immortal and happy being. This is well-known, but do not believe anything about divine nature other than what is congenial for an eternally happy existence. The gods do exist because we have preconceived notions of them, but they are not like how most people describe them. Most people embellish their notions of the gods with false beliefs. They credit the gods for delivering rewards and punishments because they commend those who share their own ways and condemn those who do not. Rejecting the popular myths does not make one impious; preaching them is what demonstrates impiety."

Discuss how Lucretius responds to this sentiment in his Proem. Is there anything particularly Roman about his approach? Or does he subvert Roman beliefs about the gods? Why might he choose Venus, goddess of love? Does he allude to other poets or authors? If so, how does this complicate what he is saying?

Week 71. Many people (ancient Romans and modern scholars alike) present Roman religion as

in decline in the late Republic. What is the evidence for this claim? Why were many Roman thinkers attracted to the idea of decline? According to the excerpt from Beard, North, and Price, why is this story of decline problematic? What do you think of their argument? 

2. In Book 6, at the very end of the De rerum natura, Lucretius discusses the plague of Athens in great detail. Many people believe that this work was left incomplete - that Lucretius would have added more had he not committed suicide (as some ancient sources claim). What point/points is he trying to make in his description of the plague? What is he saying about religion and the gods? How do his views contradict traditional Roman views on religion? Can you think of any reasons why this would be an appropriate ending to the poem?

Week 8When we encounter another human being in person, we immediately notice the distinctive qualities of their voice, not merely the sound of the voice, but also factors such as the pace of their speech, and even the way in which they are presenting themselves (an authority, a friend, the happy-go-lucky and giddy uncle). In the course so far, we have encountered Cicero, Lucretius, Catullus, and now approach Caesar. This writing prompt is divided into two parts in an effort not only to help you understand the voice of their authors, but your own voice in the writing process as well.

First, in addition to Caesar, select one previous author of this term. Write one paragraph analyzing the voice of Caesar as you find him in the Gallic Wars. Write this using your

basic student voice, as you understand yourself. In the second paragraph, analyze the voice of the previous author, but in this case, rethink your own voice as a person. Invent a different character with a different background, history, and therefore distinctive writing style. Ask yourself what kinds of knowledge does this person have and what kinds of things do they care about? Then write the analysis in the second paragraph from that invented character's perspective. Spend approximately 125-150 words on each paragraph.

Week 9These passages were selected to consider the politics of being considered an outsider in Roman society and culture. Choose one of the following questions on which to write your response: (1) To what extent does Caesar (and Sallust) provide us with accurate information of the Gauls and Germans, or to what extent does he (do they) use(s) the exotic nature of their societies and environments for his own ideological purposes? Be sure to identify what you think those ideological purposes are. (2) What rhetoric do you see employed to make Cicero (whom some would consider the quintessential Roman) into *tertius peregrinus rex*? How does Cicero counteract those charges? (3) If the Gauls or Germans to were speak back to Caesar, what rhetorical strategies might they use to counter his characterizations of them and their societies?

Week 10The last week we spent with Caesar showed us how a person who makes history can also write history. In other forms of literature, we very often think about the relationship between the author and the narrator or the author and the person inside the work of literature who bears the author's name. In the case of Caesar, however, we may be less likely to do this. After all, Caesar is acting in his own history and writes about what he himself has accomplished. But think about the dangers of this kind of writing for a reader. Can we be led, or perhaps misled, to think of history as a straightforward kind of reporting, to not consider carefully how an author--even Caesar--'uses' the past about which the history is written? As you begin to explore Sallust's Catiline, think about how that work urges us to explore such issues. In contrast to Caesar's Commentarii, for instance, Sallust's work begins in a very philosophical tone and the author refers to himself by using the pronoun "I" unlike Caesar's "He." Likewise, consider the amount of time that has passed between the events of the conspiracy and Sallust's own present as well as how far back into Rome's history Sallust takes us.  

1. Delve into the "archaeology" of the Catiline, particularly Chapters 9 and 10, where Sallust depicts Rome at its moral zenith. What are the characteristics that lead to the heights of Rome's success, what starts Rome on its decline, and what is the connection between Rome's degeneration and the story of Catiline?

2. With the same question in mind, think about the role of Caesar and Cato within the history, not only as historical figures, but as characters used by Sallust when writing. To answer this question, look carefully at the debate in the senate between Caesar and Cato (Chapters 50-56). Caesar's speech seems to win the day, until Cato's argument is deemed more persuasive. Does Cato truly respond to Caesar's argument or is he speaking to or for someone else? Whose position do you find more persuasive?

3. When you explore these issues, understanding an author's use of the past becomes

much more complicated. Can you see different levels of communication on which Sallust is operating? For instance, since the audience would have known the outcome of the debate between Caesar and Cato, i.e. the history, does the debate play another kind of historical role? Are there ways in which those two monumental figures work more generally to link present-day Rome to the heights of its past? Let yourself explore as a wide a range of issues as possible in your answer.

Week 11According to T. Corey Brennan, "If we take our sources at their word, the initiative of a small coterie of priestess and magistrates' wives set in motion a series of events that would do much to pull some of the last remaining threads out of the seriously frayed social fabric of the late Republic" (354). An important case study for Brennan is Terentia, the wife of Cicero, an historical woman about whom we know more than almost any other woman in the Roman world. We have more than 20 letters that Cicero wrote to his wife, as well as numerous letters that he wrote to his friends about his wife.

This week's Latin assignment focuses on Terentia. In 58 BCE, Cicero sends a loving and grief-stricken letter (Ad Fam. 14.2) to Terentia recently following his departure into exile. In January 49, at the outbreak of civil war, he writes her with utmost concern for her safey (Ad Fam. 14.18). Two years later Cicero and Terentia divorce. A letter he composes to Atticus in 47 BCE (Ad Att. 11.24) reveals details about one of their many arguments over money.

Based on these three letters, in 250-300 words, discuss the sort of influence and power Terentia was capable of wielding. Refer to at least two examples from the translation assignment in your discussion, and be sure to cite the Latin to support your point. Do you think the image of Terentia that emerges from Cicero's letters is based on the historical, lived reality of this woman, or to what extent is this pure literary construct for Cicero's benefit? (Or, as Brennan asks, "can Terentia exist for us without Cicero" [365])?

Week 12Please find below images of a dozen or so coins—all silver, of the denarius denomination—from various eras in the middle Roman Republic (211-91 BCE) that show a helmeted female figure on the obverse, conventionally identified as "the goddess Roma."

However there is a major sticking point: "contemporary Romans knew no such goddess" (Ernst Badian).

Who else might this female figure be, in your opinion? (Full disclosure: this remains an unsolved puzzle, and there is no "right" answer.)

To see many more examples of this mysterious figure, type "helmeted head of Roma" in the search field at http://www.coinarchives.com/a/ [coinarchives.com is the premier online resource for coins on auction 1999-present, more than a few unpublished]. Make sure for each link to “click to enlarge image.”

(And while you are thinking: what other major developments do you observe across time on the obverses and reverses of these 'Roma' denarius pieces?)

1. Anonymous moneyer. 211-208 BCE. AR (= silver) Denarius. Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage (Cambridge 1974) 44/5 

2. Anonymous moneyer. 194-190 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 137/1   3. Anonymous moneyer. 189-180 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 141/1 4. Furius Purpurio (=moneyer). 169-158 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 187/1 5. C. Scribonius. 154 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 201/1 6. C. Junius C. f.   149 BCE.   AR Denarius. Crawford 210/1 7. C. Renius. 138 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 231/1 8. Sextus Pompeius Faustulus.   137 BCE.   AR Denarius. Crawford 235/1   9. C. Aburius Geminus. 134 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 244/1 10. Cn. Carbo. 121 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 279/1   11. M. Sergius Silus.   116-115 BCE. AR   Denarius. Crawford 286/1  12. L. Sentius C. f. 101 BCE.   AR Denarius.   Crawford 235/1b   13. D. Silanus L. f. 91 BCE. AR Denarius. Crawford 337/3