LATN 319 - Roman Biography

Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, CD

Solemn, pious Augustus, diabolical Caligula, traveling Hadrian, wise Marcus Aurelius. In the public imagination, the Roman emperor is both tyrant and benevolent ruler. But how do we know? We think we know them and their courts full of intrigue, but, historically, we rely on hearsay and (often false) rumor, as in the famous: “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Ultimately, we draw from biography, a genre that was neither neutral or static in Antiquity. In this course, we will read Suetonius and the Historia Augusta, separate fact from fiction, and get to the bottom of who these men really were.

Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: J. Sancinito

Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes: LATN 202 (or equivalent)