HONC 310 - Satire from Athens to SNL

Unit(s): 4

This course examines the voices of those who criticize, lampoon, mock, praise, and generally comment upon Greek, Roman, and modern heroes, rulers, and social climbers. We begin with the comic tradition of Classical Athens, considering the social function of Aristophanes’ satirical (and often cruelly personal) invective in the Athenian democracy. We then move onto the biting satire of Rome-the genre that the Romans claimed as “wholly ours.” Through the works of Horace, Petronius, Juvenal, and others, we examine how satire’s biting wit reflected the changing values of the Roman world as it transitioned from Republic to Empire, saw new social arrivals attain unprecedented wealth and power, and discovered new targets and topics of poetic rage. Along the way, we consider the place of satire and self-construction in the modern world as we think about the interaction of the collective and the personal voice in this most modern of ancient genres.

Restriction: Course Student Attribute Restrictions exclude Honors College Curric Priority
College of Arts and Sciences