Reading Virgil: Tensions in Roman Identity

Description

This discussion-based classics and literature course offers an in-depth study of the major works of Virgil—Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid—situating them within the literary, political, and cultural transformations of the late Roman Republic and the early Empire. Participants will explore how Virgil shapes Roman identity through myth, history, and poetic innovation. Central questions we will explore include: What is the tension between personal desire and duty to the state? How is identity formed—through ancestry, land, labour, or collective destiny? By closely analyzing Virgil’s language and imagery, we will consider how poetry constructs ideals of order, tradition, and authority while simultaneously exposing their fragility.

Participants will also examine Rome’s claim to greatness and the moral costs that accompany imperial ambition. What is the greatness of Rome, and what is the cost of war required to achieve it? How does Virgil represent suffering, loss, and sacrifice beneath the idea of a glorious empire? Participants will examine the role of morality in Virgil’s vision of history: Is virtue compatible with conquest? What does it mean to be a good citizen in a world shaped by violence? Attention will be given to Virgil’s contrasting worlds: rural life and city life, poetry and labour, peace and conflict. How can we reconcile the competing values these experiences represent?

Required texts:

• * The Aeneid by Virgil (any edition)

Participants must obtain a copy of the required texts at the bookstore or library of their choice.

Details