Not offered 2007-2008
CLAS 105 The Ancient Novel (Same as Comparative Literature 113)
The "rise of the novel" is often linked to the Industrial Revolution, but a number of fictional prose narratives most aptly described as novels were composed and widely read under the
Roman empire. While the Roman novels of Petronius (Satyrica or Satyricon) and Apuleius
(Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass) are better known today, Greek romances recounting
the tribulations of unfortunate young lovers, such as Longus' Daphnis and Chloe and An
Ethiopian Story by Heliodorus, enjoyed enormous popular success in their own time. In this
course we will read a good number (seven or so) of the ancient novels that are extant today.
To situate these works in their original cultural context, we will consider the historical
evidence for their production, circulation, and readership. We will also study these works as
precursors of the modern novel, examining, for example, their concern or disregard for
realism, and their treatment of the grotesque, miraculous, and fantastic. We will give equal
attention to the relationship these novels bear to other ancient genres, such as satire, pastoral,
epic, and "Lives," including those of saints.
Format: Discussion, with occasional short lectures. Evaluation will be based on contributions
to class, a midterm, several short papers and one longer, final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 15-20). Preference will be given to majors
and prospective majors in Classics and Comparative Literature, and to sophomores and
first-years.
WILCOX