The Roman Novel

3 units

This seminar is concerned with the two works of Latin prose fiction, which have been enormously influential in western narrative literature: Petronius' SATYRICON (a.k.a. SATYRICA) and Apuleius' Metamorphoses (a.k.a. GOLDEN ASS). We will read portions of these works in Latin, including their famous central episodes (the dinner of Trimalchio and the tale of Cupid and Psyche) to get acquainted with the style of the two authors and the content of the works. From secondary readings we will become conversant with the major issues and debates in the history of the field, and pursue further interpretation of these works through both literary and cultural lenses.