A&H 205 Classical Literature: Power and Gender in Ancient Culture

Content

After she killed her mother, Electra married and lived happily ever after. Or did she? Her fragile position in ancient Greek society -a woman with the male duty of revenge- epitomises the issues of power and gender which are the focus of this course.        Throughout classical antiquity, the great literary authors, all but one male, have dealt with femininity and masculinity, have had their heroes elevate, worship and make love to women; but also have let them patronise, seduce and violate them. By no means is the image of women in ancient literature necessarily a negative one. Penelope matches Odysseus in strength and wit; Electra may be a murderess, she holds her honour high; and women would in an ideal state rule as equals to men. Question that arise, however, are: do these literary heroines reflect a social reality? What role did homosexuality play in society?
Power, male or female, is not only expressed in the contents of ancient literature, but also lies with its contemporary audience, whether a patron, an Athenian theatre crowd or the participants in a religious festivals on the island of Lesbos. This dual web of gender and power extends both within the literary works of classical antiquity, and reaches out to ancient society at large; disentangling it will be the main goal of this course.

Instructor

Dr. Helle Hochscheid

Track

Antiquity

Period

Spring / 2011

Course Material

• Rutherford, Richard. 2005. Classical Literature. A Concise History. Oxford: Blackwell (ISBN 0-631-23133-1)
• Winks, Robin W. & Mattern-Parkes, Susan P. 2004. The Ancient Mediterranean World. From the Stone Age to A.D. 600. Oxford: OUP (ISBN 0-19-515563-7)

Prerequisites

The following course is required in order to take this course:

• A&H 105 Classical Mythology

Additional Prerequisites

This course is required for A&H 306

Required for

This course is required in order to take the following course:

• A&H 305 Greek Art & Archaeology
• A&H 306 The Global Artefact