Sexuality, Eroticism, and Gender in Myth and Literature

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This multi-disciplinary (philosophy, literature, history, law, art and archeaology) course will examine sexuality and eroticism in antiquity, looking in particular at their role as an initiation to higher levels of thought and cognition; their impetus in defining gender roles; their existence as physiological/psychological needs versus social constructions; how they have invested modern though, research, and become enduring models interpreting human behavior. Students will carry out a close study of selections from Greek and Roman lyric poetry, Greek drama, philosophy and essays, Roman satire and Ovid's epics on love and extensive writing to analyze the context and content of the readings and lectures.