Spring 2008

LAT 323 • Seutonius

Course Description

In this course we will be reading two of Suetonius' most entertaining biographies: The Life of Caligula and the Life of Nero. Suetonius was the Imperial Roman equivalent of a tabloid journalist, and his stories about the hilarious antics of Romes emperors and their contemporaries more than make up for the difficulty of his Latin prose. In addition to reading substantial amounts of Latin, we will also discuss a selection of recent secondary articles on Suetoniuss style, rhetoric, and treatment of his biographical subjects; and on the genre of biography in antiquity. Assignments will range from approximately 25 lines of Latin early in the semester to 45-50 lines by the end of the semester. In addition to translation exams, students will compose their own biographies of a historical figure (ancient or modern) in the style of Suetonius. Grading Policies: 3 Translation Exams (75%) Writing Project (15%) Attendance/Participation (10%)

Texts

Required Texts: Brian Warmington, ed. Suetonius: Nero, 2nd ed. (Duckworth Press, 1999). Hugh Lindsay, ed. Suetonius: Life of Caligula (Duckworth Press, 1993). Catherine Edwards, trans. Suetonius's Lives of the Caesars (Oxford University Press, 2001).

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