Latin literature and religion in Rome

(2 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course mixes in depth discussion with a panoramic view of Religion across the various eras of the Roman Empire. This course offers a description of polytheism, henotheism, and monotheism, and their respective places in Roman history. The professor explains the etymological roots of many of the French vocabulary we learn, tracing it back to its Greek and Latin roots. She also suggests secondary reading, and explains how the texts have been passed down and played a role in the literary tradition leading up to modern times. In this lecture style class, we are learning about the decline of paganism and the rise of Christianity in the late Roman Empire. In this class, the professor explains the origins and etymology of the words in French, Latin, and Greek to better contextualize some of the specialized vocabulary that we learn. She also connects our text to and suggests secondary reading from renowned French scholars on the topics taught, placing the history of the late Roman Empire in conversation with French intellectual history.