Class Introduction: Vōcēs Fēminārum

Salvēte sodālēs!
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I am excited to introduce you all to my class Vōcēs Fēminārum. This is my second time teaching Vōcēs, and I am looking forward to expanding the scope of the course this year! 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. 

We will start by studying the voices of women that survive from Greece and Rome. We will read translations of poems written by Sappho, one of the most prolific poets of all time, and of a lesser known Greek poetess Erinna. Then, we will translate a poem by Sulpicia, a Roman woman whose poems were published in the Corpus Tibullianum. 

After our introduction to female Greek and Roman scriptorēs,  we will shift to a historical focus and learn about three rēgīnae: Cleopatra, Amanirenas, and Boudica. Though from different cultures, these queens had one thing in common: all three led armies that challenged Rome! While reading Greek sources and translating Latin texts about these powerful women, we will examine how Greco-Roman authors characterized these rēgīnae in their histories. 

I am so excited to meet you all very soon!

​ex animō (et in proximum!), 
Magistra Koshute