CLST 10.06 The Concept of Love in Roman Literature
This course explores the importance of love as a concept in the ancient Roman literary imagination. Vergil’s famous phrase “love conquers all” (omnia uincit amor, Eclogues 10.69) encapsulates the centrality of amor to the poetic genre of elegy. But the notion of love as a conquering force also hints at its ability to overwhelm, subdue, and destroy. The idea of love, broadly conceived, is embedded in the literature, philosophy, scientific thought, religion, and art and archaeology of the Romans. We will explore love in its various forms – devotion, lust, physical sexuality, friendship, and familial bonds – by looking at the central authors and genres of the Latin literary tradition (in English translation). Our discussion of these core texts will be further enriched by an examination of additional ancient sources, including Greek and Roman visual art, monuments and architecture, coins, and inscriptions.