Pagans and Christians in Giovanni Pascoli’s Latin poems
Online Course: January 9th-February 27th 2021
The Carmina of Giovanni Pascoli stand among the most exquisite verses available in modern Latin poetry. Particularly notable in this oeuvre are the Poemata Christiana which delve into an array of themes including the introduction of Christianity into the Roman world, complex ideological tensions that the new faith experienced in this context, the growth of Christianity in diverse social strata, Pagan opposition, and the ultimate decline of Paganism.
This course aims to serve as an introduction to the Latin poetry of Pascoli through his Pomponia Graecina (1909) and the Thallusa (1911) with one session dedicated to each poem. Female protagonists stand at the center of each poem, the former from the perspective of a Roman matrona and the latter from the perspective of a female slave who is Christian.
Participants in the course will have a unique opportunity to explore an aspect of Pascoli which is typically overlooked, notwithstanding the fact that these poems are among the Latin verses of Pascoli which resulted in thirteen first place awards and fifteen honorable mentions in the renowned Certamen Hoeufftianum based in Amsterdam.
| Schedule | Topic |
| Saturday, Jan. 9th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | A Roman matrona under attack |
| Saturday, Jan. 16th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | Acquittal of the charges |
| Saturday, Jan. 23rd 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | Massacre of Christians in the flames of Rome |
| Saturday, Jan. 30th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | Descent into the catacombs |
| Saturday, Feb. 6th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | Golden bracelets and heated shelves |
| Saturday, Feb. 13rd 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | The slave serves a dinner |
| Saturday, Feb. 20th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | Anger and pain for an abducted son |
| Saturday, Feb. 27th 2021, h. 15:30-16:30 CET | A lullaby |
