Aims This course aims to:
familiarise ourselves with more than 200 classic Greek and Roman myths that constitute the heart of Ovid’s Metamorphoses
evaluate Ovid’s methods of working with this material and acquaint ourselves with the cultural and historical context of the poem
contemplate ways of reading the poem and understanding the potential significance of myth
Content Our first task is to understand the literary context: this is one of the longest poems to reach us from antiquity and we need to understand what led Rome’s leading love poet to write it. It is vital to understand the poem as part of a centuries-old tradition of didactic verse and to consider what precedent Ovid is drawing on. We must also consider the narrative voice of Ovid in the poem: how does the consistently urban elegist modify his poetic persona to create a suitably ‘Epic’ voice? What does a given myth ‘mean’ in his hands? Finally we must consider the reasons for the success of the poem, the only real rival to Vergil’s Aeneid .
Presentation of the course Each class will be presented as an informal lecture with PowerPoint slides and an accompanying handout. You are encouraged to ask questions at any time and are not required to bring anything to class.
Course sessions
Introduction 1: Ancient Greek and Roman Epic Introduction 2: Ovid The first pentad of the Metamorphoses The second pentad The third pentad
Learning outcomes You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.
The learning outcomes for this course are:
to gain an understanding of the many myths that populate Ovid’s Metamorphoses
to gain an understanding of Ovid’s relationship to his own material
to gain an understanding of the context of the Metamorphoses
Required reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Oxford World’s Classics or Penguin)
It is critical to consult more than one translation of the poem: Mandelbaum’s version is also popular.
Typical week: Monday to Friday Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.
Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
c.7.30am-9.00am
Breakfast in College (for residents)
9.00am-10.30am
Am Course
11.00am-12.15pm
Plenary Lecture
12.15pm-1.30pm
Lunch
1.30pm-3.00pm
Pm Course
3.30pm-4.45pm
Plenary Lecture/Free
6.00pm/6.15pm-7.15pm
Dinner in College (for residents)
7.30pm onwards
Evening talk/Event/Free
Evaluation and Academic Credit If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit .
Certificate of attendance A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.
