Vergil

In this course we will read as much as possible of Vergil’s Aeneid in the original, and the rest in translation. Our focus will be on the way the poem interrogates some of its most basic claims about empire, piety, heroism, and history, but we will try to avoid falling into the binary trap of “positive” and “negative” readings of the epic’s relationship to its Roman imperial context.  Requirements: Class presentation; 10 page paper; final.