The Well-Trodden Path: Hellenistic Poetry in Rome

3 units

In this course, we will study the influence of Hellenistic poetry (especially Callimachus, Theocritus, Apollonius, Aratus, and epigram) on neoteric and Augustan poetry. Students will read some Hellenistic poetry in Greek as well as the Latin texts. The class will consider how poetic metaphors are picked up and changed, how translation affects the use of these ideas, and the development of major themes and genres. Attention will be paid to how and why Roman poets depart from their Greek models. We will also learn about how theories of intertexuality and reception have been applied in this arena.