Comparative Literature 30A

Introduction: Literature in the Ancient World

1. The One Who Looked into the Abyss

1. What is literature? Why study ancient literature?
2. The Purpose of Literature

2. Course Logistics

1. Class Meetings
2. Papers and Tests
3. Books and Readings
4. Who are we?
5. Sections

3. The Beginnings of Civilization and of Literature

1. Civilization and Barbarism
2. Literature, Writing, and Speech

4. The Books and their Times

1. The Ancient Near East: Gilgamesh, c. 2500-1500 B.C.E., The Exaltation of Inanna by Enheduanna c. 2000 B.C.E.
2. Ancient Greece: Homer, c. 800 BCE, Sophocles, 496-406 BCE, Plato, 428-348 BCE
3. The Roman Empire: Virgil, (Publius Vergilius Maro) 70-19 BCE
4. Anglo-Saxon Britain: Beowulf, c. 700-750 CE
5. Medieval Spain: El Poema del Cid, c. 1140-1207
6. The Late Middle Ages in Italy: La divina commedia: Inferno by Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321