Jealousy, betrayal, revenge, murder, cannibalism, the struggle for power. These are some of the themes in the ancient drama Thyestes by Seneca the Younger, which we will be reading together this summer. If you like Game of Thrones, you’ll like this play, which is about the contentious relationship between brothers, Atreus and Thyestes.
They are part of the legendary House of Atreus, which you may have learned about in your Latin class. The family is cursed when Tantalus tries to feed his son, Pelops, to the gods. Pelops is the father of our characters, whose crimes we will return to in a moment. Atreus is the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, the leaders of the Greeks in the Trojan War who weren’t so nice. The curse ends when Agamemnon’s son, Orestes, murders his mother, Clytemnestra, because she murdered Agamemnon. Confused? Yeah, the family’s pretty complicated. It’s complicated between Atreus and Thyestes, too. Thyestes was having an affair with Atreus’ wife and used her to take the throne of Mycenae. Atreus, betrayed and full of rage, took the throne back and banished his brother. It is at this point that our play begins. Atreus feels the need for more vengeance, so he comes up with an evil plan. On the pretense of reconciliation, he invites Thyestes and his sons back to Mycenae. He then commits what Seneca calls both nefas and scelus: he murders his nephews, turns them into stew, and tricks Thyestes into eating them. Seems excessive, right? That’s one of the many things Seneca wanted out of this play. Seneca was an advisor to the (infamous) emperor, Nero, as well as a Stoic philosopher. Stoicism focuses on controlling one’s emotions, which Nero struggled with and the character Atreus does, too. Though this is an oversimplification of the brilliance of Thyestes, it can be viewed as a cautionary tale about the consequences of giving into emotion. Seneca’s philosophical works include De Ira, De Brevitate Vitae, and De Clementia. I would like for us to look at the philosophical themes of Seneca’s tragedy, which is why I titled this class De Scelere. Get ready for some dark, gruesome, and thought-provoking reading. If you’re interested in doing some reading before Academy begins, I recommend any of Seneca’s tragedies (particularly Troades and Medea). It might also be helpful for you to read up on the House of Atreus if you do not have much background in mythology. Seneca had a fascinating life, so you might also be interested in reading about him. I look forward to meeting you in June! -Magistra Carroll
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The staff of the 2017 Governor's Latin Academy met in Ashland on April 22, 2017 to finalize arrangements. We decided on Cicero's immortal "O Tempora! O Mores!" as our theme for this year. We also reviewed the student surveys from last year, designed a t-shirt, fought over activities to lead, learned about the play we will produce this summer, decided which guest speakers to invite, decided how to commemorate the 30th session of the Governor's Latin Academy, researched provinces for our Mercatus and ate some delicious pizza. Thanks to Randolph-Macon and Dr. Natoli for hosting us and helping with all the paperwork! As I begin my third year as director, I am still in awe of what the staff of this academy can accomplish in a few hours: the framework for the entire program. In part, this is because we have inherited the wisdom and practices of 29 other amazing academies and their faculties. The rest is due to the energy, dedication, and collaboration that the academy inspires in us. We are so excited to both introduce you to the academy and to discover what this, the 30th session of GLA, will be with you. In some ways, the traditions and goals of the academy are timeless. In another, very real way, each academy is it's own, unique experience. It is a very difficult thing to explain, but you will understand when we all arrive. As you begin to fill in the paperwork and decide what to pack, please email me if you have any questions or concerns. We are all excited to meet you and to work with you this summer. Curate ut Valeatis, Jacquelyn Wilkins Princeps, GLA MMXVII |
Salvete!This blog will document the MMXVII session of the Virginia Governor's Latin Academy. After elections are held, the aediles will be responsible for its upkeep. Contact Us
Email: valatinacademy@gmail.comOffice Phone: (804) 496-1589 Mailing Address: (student's name) c/o Governor's Latin Academy Randolph-Macon College P.O. Box 5005 Ashland, VA 23005 GLA Checklists
Download these and use them to help with packing: GLA Clothing Checklist GLA Essentials Checklist GLA School Supplies & Optional Checklist Suggested Texts-
NOT REQUIRED Again, these are not required and I would only get one from each category, if any. Latin Lexicons a. Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency b. Cassell's Concise Latin-English, English-Latin Dictionary c. Collins Latin Concise Dictionary Greek Texts/Lexicons a. Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners b. Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon Abridged c. Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary Translation Texts a. Iliad b. Thyestes Daily Life Books a. Everyday Life in Ancient Rome b. Peoples of the Roman World c. A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome d. Daily Life in the Roman City Vestes Romanae
You will need Roman clothing for several of our activities. You might not always have much time between these events, so you might want to bring more than one outfit. Patterns An Overview I & II Roman Dress Simple Tunica, Stola, and Palla Patterns Legio XX's Civilian Clothing Another Simple Dress Pattern Greek Patterns Simple Tunic and Toga Patterns Peplos Pattern Legio XX's Military Clothing Officers of the Academy
Censors: Xavier W. and Frances H. Consuls: Hannah K. and Sayeed A. Praetor: Jake B. and Claire M. Aedile: Britney P. and Caroline M. (that’s us!) Tribune: Ana S. and Min Jae K. Quaestor: Anna L. and Charlie M-B |