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Text and Context: Roman Laughter

Module description

What made the Romans laugh? What were the limits of Roman humour? What does this reveal about Roman culture and society? This module addresses some of the key issues of the politics and poetics of Roman humour. It is concerned with the way the Romans employed wit, satire and irony for comment, criticism and deconstruction, as well as a powerful weapon in their rhetorical battles. We will consider a range of materials from the poems of Catullus, to the fables of Phaedrus, to non-elite art. Ultimately, we will address whether the humour that seems to turn everything on its head seeks to subvert or reinforce prevailing power structures.

Module aims - intentions of the module

You will learn how to analyse and critically evaluate texts from a range of genres and how to relate their style and content to the wider context of Roman literary culture and society In considering what we can learn about the Romans from their use of humour, you will also be encouraged to think about uses of humour in the modern world and the socio-cultural insights that can be gleaned from thinking about what makes us laugh.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Independently analyse texts and other sources which put Roman humour on display
• 2. Understand and engage critically with a variety of approaches to the study of classical humour and current trends in criticism

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Use, analyse and evaluate ancient texts in relation to other sources and their socio-historical context
• 4. Critically evaluate and apply different theoretical approaches to classical literature and material culture

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Develop advanced academic and library skills as well as a critical ability in assessing published literature
• 6. Demonstrate advanced independent study skills in guided research and presentation of findings
• 7. Select critically and organise effectively relevant material and present this cogently in oral and/or written form

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Introduction: Theories of laughter
• Comedy and rhetoric: Cicero’s In Pisonem
• Epigram: Catullus and Martial
• Phaedrus’ Fables
• Satire: Horace, Juvenal and Persius
• Laughter in visual material

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

• Catullus (a selection)
• Phaedrus (Book 5)
• Horace, Satires
• Juvenal, Satires
• Martial, Epigrams
• Cicero, In Pisonem

Recommended Reading:

• Fitzgerald, W. Martial: The World of the Epigram. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Freudenburg, K. ed. (2005) The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Henderson, J. (2001) Telling Tales on Caesar: Roman Stories from Phaedrus. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Jäkel, S. and A. Timonen. eds. (1997) Laughter Down the Centuries. Turku: Turun Yliopisto.
• Sullivan, J. P. (1991) Martial: The Unexpected Classic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11790
  

Key words search

Classics, Latin, Rome, humour, literature, material culture