Vōcēs Fēminārum Class Introduction

Salvete omnes iterum! Haec est Magistra Koshute!

Let me tell you more about my class Vōcēs Fēminārum. One of my greatest interests in studying the ancient mediterranean world is learning about women's lives and the dynamics of gender and sexuality in these cultures. My class will focus on women's lives in ancient Greece and Rome, and how they were able to leverage influence and power in a society that largely suppressed them. 

We will start by studying the voices of women that survive from Greece and Rome. We will read poems from Sappho, one of the most prolific poets of all time. We will translate the poems of Sulpicia, a Roman woman whose poems were published in the Corpus Tibullianum. We will then learn about one of my favorite historical figures, Cleopatra, and explore the influence she had over Rome during her reign as empress of Egypt. We will also examine how she was written about by Roman authors and characterized throughout history. We will learn about Roman empresses as well, including Livia Drusilla and Agrippina the Younger. Roman historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius tell stories about them that involve competition for power, the use of poison, and murder! I can't wait to share many stories, and analyze the facts that we do know very soon.

I am so excited to meet you all in a few days!
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ex animo, Magistra Koshute