1

Classics 256/356. The Ancient Romance

Lucius is transformed into an ass - illustration by H.J. Ford

M/w: 2- 3:20pm
Meneely 306 Course Description A clumsy attempt at magic transforms a traveling salesman into an ass and he is compelled to wander far and wide, evading rabid dogs and amorous women, seeking an antidote. Pirates, raiding a tomb for booty, come across the scene of murder-for-hire and capture the would-be victim, a young woman, and sell her into slavery. A beautiful harlot is captivated by the preaching of a holy man and decides to abandon her profession, dress like a man and become a hermit on the Mount of Olives Incest, pirates, magic, rape, travel, murder, adventure, prison, star-crossed lovers and meddling gods are all features of the ancient romance or ancient novel. Thought to have been written between the first- and third-centuries CE, each romance chronicles the (mis)adventures of star-crossed lovers who must brave time, distance, mix-ups and peril in order to reunite and live happily ever after. Other forms of ancient literature likewise explore themes of love/sex (eros), while narrating madcap journeys or constructing their heroes and heroines as paragons of virtue. This course will explore a range of ancient texts, including the hugely popular ancient romances, which use similar narrative techniques to communicate particular messages about social and political issues, while simultaneously delighting and entertaining their audiences. From Homers Odyssey to Apollonius of Tyre, from The Golden Ass to The Acts of the Apostles and beyond, we will read these texts in full, discuss their objectives and influences, and consider what they tell us about human nature, daily life and what we might call religion in antiquity. Students taking this course at the 200-level have no prerequisites. For those taking this course at the 300-level, you must have had a previous 200-level Classics course under your belt. All texts will be read in translation. This course will meet for 1hr 20mins., twice a week, for lecture and discussion. 300- level students will meet separately with me for additional time (TBD). There will also be an onCourse site and discussion board for this class.

 Course Goals and Objectives

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 2

The purpose of this course is for you to gain an enduring understanding of the ancient novel or romance in Greco-Roman literature, its historical context, literary precursors, themes and execution. As such, one of our central goals will be for you to learn to read historical texts critically and to engage these ancient sources with a variety of scholarly tools, including secondary sources as well as comparanda from a variety of other disciplines. Through our work together, you will also have the opportunity in this course to learn to:

improve your research, academic writing and communication skills through various course assignments and class discussion apply the subject matter of this course, and the critical thinking skills you will learn throughout the semester, to your broader academic interests

Fair Warning: Be aware that the intention of this course is to introduce you to the Greek and Roman novel, as well as sources that may have influenced their production. This means that this course will require a good deal of reading of both primary and secondary sources, so please plan accordingly! Instructor information Robyn Faith Walsh walsh_robyn@wheatoncollege.edu Office: Knapton 215 508-286-3699 Course Requirements Attendance and Participation (20%): You are expected to come to all class meetings prepared to discuss the assigned readings and to participate actively in discussion with your questions and ideas. We will also have a discussion board on onCourse. I will check this forum frequently, so please feel free to post questions, concerns and to talk to one another. Extra credit will be assessed for those who are active participants online (as well as in the classroom). Response Papers (25%): You are required to submit 7 short response papers throughout the semester, in advance of the class for which the paper is written. In essence, these papers are an opportunity for you to reflect on the topic of the week, the readings and for you to put forth some discussion questions for the class. You are free to choose the weeks for which you will write a paper (limit 1 per week), but you must complete at least 3 before mid-semester. More details on this assignment will follow. Midterm (25%): A take home midterm will be handed out on Oct 2nd in-class and will be due, in-class, on Oct 16th. It will consist of several short answers and an essay question. More details to follow. Office hours: Thus. 2-5 and by appointment or Skype I strongly encourage you to come visit during my office hours if you have any questions or concerns.

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 3

Final Project (30%): There are 3 options for your final. You are free to choose whichever option best caters to your learning style and strengths: 1) Research Paper: A 10-15 pp. (aprox. 3000-4500 words) research paper on a subject of your design, in consultation with me. This option will also require approval in advance via a research proposal. This option is strongly recommended for Ancient Studies, Classics and Religious Studies majors. 300-level students are required to write a research paper. 2) Special Project: If you have a creative idea for a relevant project related to your major, come see me. Similar to the research paper, this will require a proposal in advance and close consultation with me along the way. Some examples of an appropriate final project might include an art study, creative writing, interviewing notable scholar, translation and commentary, and so on. 3) A traditional final, held during finals week. It will consist of short answers, matching and/or multiple choice and two short essays. More detailed information on each of these assignments will follow.

Finally, please feel free to openly discuss these course requirements, readings and assessments with me if you have other ideas, feel that a particular kind of assignment is useful, helpful or, on the other side of the coin, overly difficult. While we must have fair and thorough assessments in this course in order for me to give you the appropriate grades, this is ultimately your course and I want to work with you to make it practical, constructive and enjoyable! Grading Policies & Other matters v If you submit work after set deadlines, without having made (and confirmed) prior arrangements with me, you should expect points deducted from that assignments final grade. Missed papers and exams will only be allowed to be made up in exceptional circumstances. v If you are unable to attend class for some reason, please contact me as soon as possible. Absences for which an official deans letter or health services note is provided will not count against your final grade. v You are expected to adhere to the Wheaton Honor Code. Violations of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. v Student with any disabilities of which I should be aware, please contact me as soon as possible in order to make the appropriate arrangements. v Cell phones are to remain off at all times while class is in session. Laptops are permitted so long as it does not become clear that you are doing something other than our course work during class time.

 Required Books & Other Course Materials

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 4

Available at the bookstore: B.P. Reardon, ed., Collected Ancient Greek Novels (University of California Press, 2008). Joel Relihan, trans., The Golden Ass: Or, A Book of Changes (Hackett, 2007). Tomas Hgg, The Novel in Antiquity (University of California Press, 1991). David Konstan, Sexual Symmetry: Love in the Ancient Novels and Related Genres (Princeton, 1994). Further readings will be available on onCourse/Moodle, or will be circulated in class. Weekly readings and assignments Assigned readings and written assignments should be completed before class. Please bring all readings and assignments with you to our sessions. Recommended Readings are not required, but you may find them helpful. This syllabus is subject to fine-tuning and modification, but expect no major shocks.

*Week 1: Introduction to the Course* Wednesday, August 28th : A General Introduction to the Course Materials & Requirements T. Hgg, Notes on the Terms, Names and Historical Periods; The Novel in Antiquitya Contradiction in Terms? (Chapter 1); in The Novel in Antiquity (UCP, 1991), pp. xi-4 Recommended: B.P. Reardon, General Introduction, Collected Ancient Greek Novels (UCP, 2008), pp. 1-16 Week 2: Readers and Reading in the Ancient World No Class September 2nd

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 5

Wednesday, September 4th : Composition & Consumption of Texts in Antiquity T. Hgg, The Social Background and the First Readers of the Novel (Chapter 3) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 81-108 Recommended: W.A. Johnson, Pragmatics of Reading & Pliny and the Construction of Reading Communities, Readers & Reading Culture in the High Roman Empire (OUP, 2010), pp. 17-62 J.M. Foley, Four Scenarios, How to Read an Oral Poem (UCP, 2002), pp. 1-10 Week 3: Before the Novel Response Paper Idea: Keep an eye on the portrayal of women in our novels going forward. Medea embodies particular tropes that we will see again (e.g., emotional imbalance, witchcraft). Why do you think these tropes are enduring? Do we still see them today? Monday, September 9th : Tragedy & Epic Poetry Iliad, Odyssey (selections), primary source handout Euripides, Medea (selections) T. Hgg, The Literary Pedigree of the Novel (Chapter 4) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 109-124 Recommended: L.F. Norman, Introduction: Experiencing Antiquity, The Shock of the Ancient: Literature and History in Early Modern France (UCP, 2011), pp. 1-8 Wednesday, September 11th : New Comedy, Greek Elegiac Poetry Theognis, Testimonia (selections), primary source handout E. Segal, O Menander! O Life! The Death of Comedy (HUP, 2001), pp. 153-182 D. Konstan, Before the Novel: Passion & Power, Sexual Symmetry: Love in the Ancient Novel and Related Genres (PUP, 1994), pp. 139-159

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 6

Week 4: The Ancient Greek Novel: Callirhoe Monday, September 16th: Charitons Callirhoe Chariton, Chaereas & Callirhoe : Books 1-4, pp. 17-75 (including Introduction) T. Hgg, The Ideal Greek Novel (Chapter 2) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 5-18 (up to the material on The Ephesian Tale) Recommended: S. Trzaskoma, Introduction, Two Novels from Ancient Greece: Callihroe & An Ephesian Story (Hackett, 2010), pp. xi-xxxiii Wednesday, September 18th: Charitons Callirhoe Chariton, Chaereas & Callirhoe : Books 5-8, pp. 75-124 D. Konstan, Invention of Fiction, Ancient Fiction and Early Christian Narrative (SBL, 1998), pp. 3-17 Recommended: L.M. Danforth, The Death Rituals of Rural Greece (PUP, 1982), selections. Week 5: The Ancient Greek Novel: Daphnis & Chloe Monday, September 23rd: Longus Daphnis & Chloe Longus, Daphnis & Chloe : Prologue & Books 1-2, pp. 285-318 (including Introduction) T. Hgg, The Ideal Greek Novel (Chapter 2) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 35-41 Wednesday, September 25th : Longus Daphnis & Chloe Longus, Daphnis & Chloe : Books 3-4, pp. 318-348 D. Konstan, The Greek Novel: Sexual Symmetry, Sexual Symmetry (PUP, 1994), pp. 14-59 Recommended: D. Konstan, Greek Novels: Variation on a Type, Sexual Symmetry, pp. 60-90

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 7

Week 6: Sex, Love & Spectacle in the Ancient World Monday, September 30th : Ers & Physiology Primary Source handout on Aristotelian physiology K. Gaca, Desires Hunger and Plato the Regulator, The Making of Fornication: Eros, Ethics and Political Reform in Greek Philosophy and Early Christianity (UCP, 2003), pp. 23-58 (You might also find it useful to skim through the Introduction (pp. 1-20) to get a sense of her larger project.) Recommended: Christopher Faraone, Magical and Medical Approaches to the Wandering Womb, Classical Antiquity 30:1 (2011), pp. 1-32 Mark J. Adair, Platos View of the Wandering Uterus, The Classical Journal 91:2 (1996), pp. 153-163 Wednesday, October 2nd : Spectacle & Entertainment B. Bergmann, Introduction, The Art of Ancient Spectacle (1999), pp. 11-37 K.M. Coleman, Fatal Charades: Roman Executions Staged as Mythological Enactments, Journal of Roman Studies 80 (1990), pp. 73-88 A. Curry, The Gladiator Diet: How to eat, exercise, and die a violent death, Archaeology (Nov/Dec 2008), pp. 89-91 Recommended: F.P. Moog & A. Karenberg, Between Horror and Hope: Gladiators Blood as a Cure for Epileptics in Ancient Medicine, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences 12:2 (2003), pp. 137-143 Take-home Midterm handed out!!!

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 8

Week 7: The Hero Romance: Apuleius The Golden Ass RPI: Who would you cast in a Hollywood movie as Lucius and Photis? Why? Monday, October 7th : The Metamorphoses of Apuleius The Golden Ass, Books 1-3 T. Hgg, The Roman Comic Novel (Chapter 7) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 166-191 (the material on Apuleius, skim the rest) J. Lindsay, Introduction: Apuleius and his Work, skim pp. 5-29 (particularly the first few pages) Wednesday, October 9th : More Metamorphoses The Golden Ass, Books 4-6 D. Frankfurter, Fetus Magic and Sorcery Fears in Roman Egypt, Greek Roman and Byzantine Studies 46 (2006), pp. 37-62. Week 8: Apuleius, cont. October 14-15 Long Weekend Wednesday, October16th : More Metamorphoses The Golden Ass, Books 7-10 D. Konstan, Apuleius: Desire & the Divine, Sexual Symmetry, pp. 125-138 Take-home Midterm due!!!

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 9

Week 9: The Roman Novel RPI: How did you respond to the opening of Apollonius? Why was that scene included??? Monday, October 21st : Apollonius King of Tyre Apollonius King of Tyre (including Introduction), pp. 736-772 T. Hgg, From Historical Novel to Medieval Popular Book (Chapter 5) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 125-153 (the material on Apollonius and Alexander) Recommended: D. Konstan, Apollonius King of Tyre: Marriage and Incest, Sexual Symmetry, pp. 100-113 Wednesday, October 23rd : The Alexander Romance & The Life of Aesop The Alexander Romance & The Life of Aesop (selections) C. Jouanno Novelistic Lives and Historical Bios: Aesop and Alexander Romance Fiction on the Fringe pp. TBD

Week 10: The Jewish Novel: Joseph & Aseneth RPI: Is there something about our readings over the next few weeks that strike you are particularly religious more so then our others thus far this semester? Justify your answer with examples. Monday, October 28th : Joseph & Aseneth Joseph & Aseneth (selections) R. Kraemer, When Aseneth Met Joseph (OUP, 1998), TBD Wednesday, October 30th : The Book of Esther The Book of Esther (selections)

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 10

Week 11: The Christian Novel: Luke/Acts Monday, November 4th: Luke The Gospel of Luke (NRSV) M. Palmer-Bonz, The Past as Legacy (Fortress Press, 2000), pp. 15-25 Wednesday, November 6th : Acts Acts of the Apostles C. Thomas, Stories Without Text and Without Authors: The Problem of Fluidity in Ancient Novelistic Texts and Early Christian Literature, Ancient Fiction & Early Christian Narrative, pp. 273-291 Week 12: Christian Novels, Continued: Saints Lives Monday, November 11th : The Acts of Paul & Thecla The Acts of Paul & Thecla J. Eyl, Why Thekla Does Not See Paul: Visual Perception and the Displacement of Eros in the Acts of Paul and Thekla, Proceedings from the International Conference on the Ancient Novel (2012), pp. 1-17 Wednesday, November 13th : The Life of Antony & Life of Saint Pelagia the Harlot The Life of Antony Life of Saint Pelagia the Harlot T. Hgg, The New Heroes: Apostles, Martyrs and Saints (Chapter 6) The Novel in Antiquity, pp. 154-165 Week 13 : Quarrel of the Ancient & Moderns Monday, November 18th: Reception of the Ancient Novel (Early Modern) M. Shelley, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (selections)

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 11

L.F. Norman, Whose Ancients & Moderns? in The Shock of the Ancient: Literature and History in Early Modern France (UCP, 2011), pp. 11-34 Recommended: R. Montillo, The Lady and Her Monsters (TBD) Wednesday, November 20th: Reception of the Ancient Novel (Modern) Damsel in Distress (Part 1) Tropes vs. Women, Feminist Frequency: Conversations with Pop Culture (feministfrequency.com/2013/03/damsel-in-distress-part-1/) (23:35) ** This is an ongoing project and Parts II and III may also be available, feel free to snoop around the site! Week 14 **Gobble Gobble** No Class Monday, November 25th (professor at a conference) November 27-30 Thanksgiving Break Week 15 final presentations Monday, December 2nd Wednesday, December 4th (last class) Final thoughts and presentations! Readings TBD.

 Ideas for Final Projects/Paper Topics:

The Ancient Romance, Fall 2013-- 12

Video games (The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros) as romantic discourses History of the term romance and its use The novel as ancient spectacle Reality television as a romantic novel The ancient novel and proto-psychology (e.g., dreams) The fetishizing of love objects in the novel, everyday life (e.g., gladiators) and later Christian relics Ancient philosophical discourses and the ancient novel (e.g., virtue and vice) A graphic (ancient) novel Writing your own ancient romance