Greek and Roman Satire

3 credits · Undergraduate

By fusing humour with social criticism, satire allows authors to skewer societal customs and traditional practices while providing entertainment. Satire was popular among Greco-Roman authors, who found a ready audience for their biting critiques of prominent figures and contemporary social practices. Nothing was off limits for these writers, from destructive warmongering to illogical religious beliefs to the self-serving customs of the elite. And because these satires cover such a wide array of subjects, they provide the perfect lens through which to study the society and culture of the ancient world. In this course, we will analyze the satirical works of a number of Greek and Roman authors (e.g. Aristophanes, Lucian, Juvenal, etc.) in order to examine how they utilized this genre for social criticism and comedic effect, as well as what these works can tell us about the Greco-Roman world.