Module description

The module aims to help students understand and enjoy the reception of the ancient mediterranean civilizations of Greece and Rome in Hollywood and European film and other categories of fiction including science fiction. By studying reactions to and retellings of classical, esp. Roman, myths and (hi)stories, the module will engage in modern debates about empire, race, religion, sexuality, and the meaning of the classical. Students will learn to see how western culture projects and uses the texts of antiquity for its own purposes. An important subsidiary aim is to gain familiarity with a range of modern critical approaches and methodologies for reading fiction and evaluating its statuses. A representative number of films will form the main arena of discussion. The lectures and seminars will utilize ancient evidence, modern secondary studies, novels, as well as film showings to build a comprehensive picture of reception from antiquity to the 21st century.