Greek 410, The Greek Romance
Spring1997
Classical Studies
Walt Stevenson
U. of Richmond
NC 211
OH: MW 3-4
Syllabus
Course Description
: Though people have told stories in every culture since time immemorial, (extant)
common prose stories first came into written form in ancient Greek. This course
will investigate this new genre in prose that we now call fiction or the novel.
Some attention will be given to the origins of the romance in epic and drama, and more attention
will also be given to the immediate successors, Apocryphal Gospels, Acts of Apostles,
and Saints Lives. But the main focus will be on Xenophon Ephesius' short novel about the ill-fated couple Habrocomes and Anthia. We will concentrate on the narrative
style, but also look into the social implications and cultural background of this
story. As a popular genre today, the novel should provide many lively parallels
with modern America, as well as the more interesting dissonances that afford us insight into
antiquity.
Requirements
: Above all we will all need to read carefully each day's assignment. The main
stress of this course is on discussing the Greek day to day. Students will compose
their own mini-romance (we will each add a sentence per class in turns), complete
occasional sight readings, write a 7 page essay on a topic of interest in the course reading,
and complete an essay final.
Grading
:
Class Participation: 25%
Composition: 25%
Essay: 25%
Final: 25%
Text
: to be handed out in class.
back to Walt Stevenson's home page