The Romans: The Aeneid
$1.00/elective term
The Romans: The Aeneid
This class is currently archived, but if you're interested in it being taught again, you can
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About the course
ROMANS: THE AENEID unpacks one the greatest classics of the West, the Aeneid of Vergil, whose impact profoundly influenced both Roman society and medieval Christianity. Wesley Callihan guides the student through the plot, poetic devices, background, philosophy, history, and aesthetics of the poem, as well as its lasting influence on Western culture and civilization. He then briefly turns to the Roman epics of Ovid, Lucretius, Lucan, and Statius.
Course Objectives
- To become proficient in the conversational approach to learning: close readings, interpretive questions, and Socratic discussions of the texts.
- To gain a grasp of the literary figures and the historical framework of the time period.
- To develop lateral thinking skills by analyzing and synthesizing themes and motifs.
- To cultivate an appetite for learning as a way of life (the life of the mind).
- To cultivate a desire to pursue the highest things.
- To be able to think Christianly and write persuasively about perennial human questions.
Texts or Required Materials:
THE AENEID (Roman Roads Reader unavailable for this unit)
- The Aeneid
- Ovid’s Metamorphosis Book 1, 8, 10, 11, 15
- Excerpts of other Roman epics (included in the Student Workbook)
Materials for this course will be made available free of charge by the instructor.
About the teacher
Kari Christophersen
Kari Christophersen lives in Moscow, ID. She holds an M.A. in TESOL and two B.A. degrees, English and French, from the University of Idaho, as well as a Maîtrise in technical translation from the University of Haute Bretagne in France.