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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CL 261H"
COURSE NAME: "Sexuality, Eroticism and Gender in Myth and Literature of Greece and Rome-HONORS (This course carries 4 semester hours of credits. A minimum CUM GPA of 3.5 is required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Thomas Govero
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30PM 2:45PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 60
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above. Co-requisites: Recommended: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This multi-disciplinary (philosophy, literature, history, law, art and archeology) course will examine sexuality and eroticism in antiquity, looking in particular at their role as an initiation to higher levels of thought and cognition; their impetus in defining gender roles; their existence as physiological/psychological needs versus social constructions; how they have invested modern thought, research, and become enduring models interpreting human behavior. Students will carry out a close study of selections from Greek and Roman lyric poetry, Greek drama, philosophy and essays, Roman satire and Ovid’s epics on love and extensive writing to analyze the context and content of the readings and lectures.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

A.      Introduction to course:  definitions of terms:  eros, agape, philia, pothos, pathos, eromenos,

erastes, hetaera, patriarchy, psyche, logos.  Methodologies of literary and mythical interpretations.

 

B.       The Greeks:

 

Overall background of Greek history and society:  values and traditions

Tribes:  who were the Greeks?  Indo-Europeans

Rise of Athens after the Peloponnesian war, democratic Athens,

Spartan society.

Status in the societies:  warriors, citizens, women, children

Eroticism:  not anachronistic views;  contemporary views,  reason/passions

Eroticism and myth and religion:   Venus, Eros/Cupid

Early evidence:   Lyricists:  Sappho, Anacreon, Theogonis

Plato:  Philebus

Eroticism and rhetoric:Plato,  Phaedrus

Eroticism and philosophy:  Plato, Symposium

Eroticism as a social phenomenon

Eroticism and women

Erotic taboos:  Sophocles, Oedipus

Later Greek erotic evidence:  Plutarch,  On Marriage; On Love

 

C.      The Romans

 

Overall background of Roman history and society; social values and traditions.

 

Contrasts and Commonalities with the Greeks

Religious redefinitions:  Eros>Cupid

Catullus:  Lyrics

Ovid:  Art of Love, Remedia Amoris

Bisexuality:  Eva Cantarella

Vergil:  Aeneid, Book IV;  Ecologues II

Lucretius on love

Later Christian critiques:  Jerome,  Augustine.

The Puritan tradition:  Mani > Augustine (Manichism)

 

.  Methodological Approaches and Caveats:  anachronism,  diaresis, dialectics, taxonomy,

   Heuristics, historicism, description/interpretation/evaluation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The course will introduce students to various methodological approaches for the interpretation

a text, literary and documentary.  Therefore, at the end of course students should have become

familiar and have employed these methods in short essays (résumés), and two longer papers as

well as in one extended presentation.

 

The texts for this course will demand “close reading”.  Therefore, students should have developed

skill in such reading of several genres of literature, literary philosophy (viz, Plato) and legal documents

(Roman law).

 

The extensive reading in Greco-Roman lyric, drama, philosophy, historical legend, and legal documents

will expose and inform students about the specific development of sexuality and eroticism but also

about the social construction of those societies such as the debate  “Nature versus Nurture”, and their

alteration with the advent of Christianity.

 

The students should engage in individual interpretations, criticism, judgements based on texts, discussions and lectures.   Therefore, students will be asked weekly to critique and make judgements

in short essays as an exercise in these skills.

 

A desireable outcome of this course is the motivation, interest and curiosity to further pursue the

content, ideas and debates after the course

 

A further desireable outcome is enjoyment in reading, debating and interpreting the texts to reach

new insights.

 

 

Texts of the Course:

 

Games of Venus:  An Anthology of Greek and Roman Erotic Verse from Sappho to Ovid.  Peter Bing (ed.),  London:  Routledge (1993).

 

.  Skinner, Marilyn, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture  +++

 

.  Plato,  Plato’s Erotic Dialogues:  the “Symposium” and the “Phaedrus”.  William S. Cobb (trans.),

   Albany:  State University of New York Press (1993).

 

.  Handouts will include Greek lyrics, Roman legal documents etc.

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx   
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Paper 1Three pages: analysis of a text based solely on the text with short oral exposition to class.20%
Paper 2Ten pages: comparison of a text with contemporary interpretations and a short oral exposition to the class30%
Résumés (10) and PresentationShort essays developed from prompts based on readings or lectures. 30%
ParticipationFrequent participation with significant comments or questions10%
Final ExamExplication of selected texts with interpretations20%
Study and Research GroupsYou will be assigned to a study and research group of 3/4 other students. Your group will prepare presentations and other assignments. You will be expected to meet in preparation for the assignments, determine a research strategy, divide-up the tasks and format of presentation, and discuss the content and outcomes of the presentation or assignment. This will be discussed in further detail in class. 

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the c
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Regular attendance will demonstrate an interest and serious attitude to the course, the materials,

and a willingness to participate.  Please withdraw from the course after three unexcused absences.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Class Session

Content of the Session

Readings and/or Résumés

Assignments & Exercises

1.1

Introduction to the Course:  Rationale, Procedures, Protocals, Evaluation

W- Curran,  "Only Connect"

Games of Venus, Introduction, pp. 1 - 50

1.2

Methodologies and Caveats:  anachronism, heuristic approaches, definition of terms:  eros, agape,philia, eromenos, erastes , hetaira

 

 

 2.3

Images of the femnine: the faithful wife, the siren, the seductress, the witch

Homer, “Odyssey”:

(In-class selections)

Sappho corpus.

Due: 3.6

 2. 4

The wise prostitute:  “Gilgamesh” discussion.

Résumé

.

 

 3. 5

 Introduction to Greek lyric:  feminist

and  homosexual voices;  Eroticism and paideia

 

Theogonis, Ibycus, Callimachus.  Due: 4.7

 3. 6

Sappho corpus discussion

Criteria and Guidelines for midterm paper.

Plato: “Symposium”

Due:  6. 10

 4. 7

Theogonis, Ibycus, Callimachus discussion

Résumé

 

 4. 8

Zeus progenitor:  sex among the gods

 

Midterm paper topics due. 

 5. 9

Eroticism and sexuality in philosophy

and rhetoric:  Gorgias and Plato

Gorgias,  “Enconium to Helen”

Plato:  “Phaedrus”

Due:  7. 13

 6. 10

Plato, “Symposium” discussion

Résumé

 

 6. 11

Plato, “Symposium” (con’t):  Women

and Wisdom:  Diotima

 

Aristophanes, “Lysastrata”.  Due: 9. 16

 7. 12

Eroticism in classical Greek art

Visuals

 

 7. 13

Plato,  “Phaedrus”:  Eroticism and  rhetoric.

 

 

 8.  14

Plato, “Phaedrus” (con’t)

 

Euripides, “Alcestis”, “Medea”  Due:  10. 17

 8.  15

Plato, “Phaedrus” (con’t)

Résumé

 

 9.  16

Discusion, Aristophanes, “Lysistrata”: Women on Strike

Short, oral reports on papers















Lucian, Erotes

Midterm papers due.

10. 17

Discussion of Eurpides:  “Alcestis”, “Medea”

 

Plutarch, “On Love”,

“On Marriage” Due: 11.20

10. 18

New social  perspectives:  Hellenism















Discussion of Lucian, Erotes

Criteria and Guidelines for final paper

 

 11  19

And now the Romans….the new face of women; a new sexual code.

Résumé

The XXII Tables

Livy: the “Lupa”,  Lucretia, the Rape of the Sabines, Verginia.

 11. 20

Marriage and sexuality in Roman law

Selected laws and inscriptions

Selections from Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Vergil and Juvenal

 12. 21. 

Latin erotic poetry:  Catullus and Propertius  Reason and passions

Selections

Final paper topics due

 

 12. 22

Latin erotic poetry: Horace and Vergil

 (Ecologue 2), “Aeneid” Book IV

Selections

Tertullian, Jerome,

“Letter 22”, Gregory of Nyssa, “On Virginity”, Augustine, “On Marriage”,” On Virginity” Due: 13.26

 12- 23

Latin erotic poetry: Ovid, “Art of Love”

Selections

 

 13. 24

Latin erotic poetry: Juvenal:  Misoginy

Résumé

 

 13. 25

Christian perspectives:   Denial as Holiness, Institutional control of sexuality. Influence of Manichism

Paul, selections from

“Letters”

 

 13. 26

Discussion of Tertullian and Jerome

 

 

 13. 27

Discussion of Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine

 

 

 13  28

Review and Overview

 

 

 13. 29

Final exam

Final Papers due. Short, oral reviews of papers.