Kirk Ormand
King
105a; x8392; kirk.ormand@oberlin.edu
Purpose: The goal of this course is to make you
familiar with the Latin poem De Natura Deorum by Lucretius. In the course of our study, we will read the entire work in
English, significant chunks in Latin, some passages from the Greek philosopher
Epicurus (in English) and a variety of modern critical interpretations of
Lucretius’ work. I have a
particular interest in critiquing Johnson’s new book, Lucretius and
the Modern World, which
we will all read together.
Structure: Each week we will spend about 2/3 of our
class time translating Lucretius’ Latin and discussing the quirks and
characteristics of his verse. The
other 1/3 of our time will be spent discussing the literary, ethical, and
cultural interpretation of the poem.
Grading: Grades will be based on 4 components:
There is no
attendance component to your grade.
See below.
Please see the
syllabus for all due dates, and plan accordingly. Unless arrangements are made in advance, late work will be
penalized.
Papers:
.In general, see my handout
“Expectations for Student Papers.” A couple of weeks before
the due date I will hand out some paper suggestions. Students are free, however, to develop their own topics If you have any questions about your
paper, or would just like to bounce ideas off me, please stop by my office.
Attendance: I do not grade on attendance. I have found that students who attend
class regularly tend to do better on papers and exams, but you are free to
ignore this empirical data at your own peril. We are, however, a small class and you should bear in mind
that your fellow-students are counting on you to bear your share of the load.
Discussions will be more rewarding if everyone participates. Please plan to attend every class
session, and please let me know if you know in advance that you must miss a
class.
Academic Honesty: In the extremely unlikely event that a student is suspected of academic dishonesty (cheating, helping other students to cheat, plagiarism) he/she will be reported to the Student Honor Board, who will determine if academic dishonesty has taken place, and what penalties, if any, should be enacted. Bear in mind that plagiarism is defined as the use of another’s’ words or ideas without citation even if unintentional. When in doubt, cite your sources. If any student is unclear as to what may be considered plagiarism, cheating, etc., please come talk to me.
Schedule of Readings
Day |
Latin |
English |
|
Sept. 4 |
Did not meet |
|
|
6 |
1.1-49 |
Melville’s intro |
|
11 |
Did not meet |
|
|
13 |
1.50-101 |
Bk. 1 |
|
18 |
1. 102-158 |
|
|
20 |
1.102-158 |
Bk. 2 |
|
25 |
1.159-237 |
Bk. 3? |
|
27 |
Yom Kippur (No Class) |
|
|
Oct. 2 |
1.329-397 |
Bk. 3 |
|
4 |
1.462-482, 921-950 |
Bk. 4 |
|
9 |
2.1-61, |
Paper #1 Due |
|
11 |
2, 225-283, 644-668 |
Bk. 5 |
|
16 |
3. 1-64 |
Bk. 6 |
|
18 |
Midterm Examination |
|
Oct. 22-26 -- Fall Break (No Classes)
|
||
|
30 |
3.65-116 |
Selections from The Epicurus Reader (TBA) |
|
|
3. 670-740 |
|
|
Nov. 6 |
3.819-893 |
Segal, Ch’s 1 and 4. |
|
8 |
3. 894-945 |
|
|
13 |
3.946-1023 |
Nussbaum, “Beyond Obsession and Disgust” |
|
|
3. 1024-1094 |
|
|
19 |
4. 1037-1104 |
Begin Johnson
|
|
|
|
|
Nov.
22-23 Thanksgiving (No Class)
|
||
|
27 |
4.1105-1176 |
Johnson, Part I |
|
|
4.1177-1232 |
|
|
Dec. 4 |
6.387-422; |
Johnson, Part II |
|
|
6. 1138-1214 |
|
|
11 |
6.1215-1285 |
|
|
13 |
Catch-up |
Final Paper Due |
|
Dec. 22 |
Final Examination |
|