Roman Literature and Civilization

The course is partly designed as a review of cultural and literary history and partly by thematic clusters. Literary periods, genres, authors and works are always presented with excerpts translated into Slove. These excerpts illustrate the historical and cultural context, such as important political events, philosophical schools, artistic currents, and circumstances of transmission and reception of literary masterpieces.
1st semester:
- geographical orientation around ancient Italy and the Roman Empire;
- development of political institutions;
- military organization;
- economy in the Roman Empire;
- religion;
- literary culture and theater;
- institutions of daily life (birth, marriage, death and burial customs, etc.); housing (organization of cities, public buildings, residences, roads, life in the countryside) and other aspects of daily life.
2. Overview of Roman literature in translation with excerpts; individual passages and terminology will be provided in Latin.
- middle republic
- late republic
- Augustan period
- imperial era
The passages, prepared by the students in advance at home, are accompanied by discussion regarding individual topics, such as: perception of space and time, cult of the gods, position of the individual in society, the relationship between the sexes, family relationships, status of women and children, attitudes towards war, attitudes towards other peoples etc.