Legendae Mediaevalis Urbis Romae (Intermediate)
Instructor:
Description:
In this course, we will read and discuss legends and misremembered histories of the city of Rome in the Middle Ages. These legends come from grammatically straightforward texts, mostly of the 12th and 13th centuries, that contemplate the ruinous state of medieval Rome and attempt to understand the present through fragments of the past. Highlights include magic mirrors; Augustus as cryptochristian and first church-builder; the Pantheon, temple of Cybele “mater daemoniorum”; a hellmouth and fire-breathing dragon in the Roman Forum; and the siege of Rome by an evil dwarf-wizard-king, and its salvation thanks to a young soldier, a cooing bird, and a full bladder.
Nota bene: Students are intended to encounter these texts for the first time in class. Texts are ordinarily distributed only at the start of class sessions. If for any reason you need access to these texts in advance, please contact the instructor.
Sessions will take place via Zoom and are capped at 12 participants to ensure a personalized learning environment.
Schedule:
8 1-hour sessions over 4 weeks
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 am - 12 pm EST*
04 June, 2024 - 27 June, 2024
*The course will observe US time and thus will change according to daylight savings time.
Major US federal holidays are observed. If a participant misses a session due to their observance of a religious holiday, they can arrange a separate session with the instructor.
Cost: USD 200 ($25/ session)
What you’ll need:
• Zoom
• Decent internet
• Earphones
• Microphone
• Webcam (preferred but optional)
• A quiet space for classes
Classes require a minimum number of participants to run although they may run with fewer participants, at the instructor’s discretion.
Refund policy:
More than a week prior to the start of the course: 100% refund or credit
Within 2 weeks of the start of the course: credit to use for another course hosted on LAC