Following an overview of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, students explore Virgil’s Aeneid and Book VIII, in particular, to gain an understanding of how Virgil’s literary epic fits into the patterns established by Homer. Students translate selections from Book VIII and become familiar with scansion, rhetorical devices, and imagery, paying close attention to the author’s unique style and thematic content that influenced writers and other artists in the years to come.

Prerequisite: Latin 3.