Reading Ancient Trauma: Suffering and Memory in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean

This course introduces students to interdisciplinary methods for conceptualizing trauma in Ancient Greek and Roman texts. Using a range of theories about trauma and memory, we will consider how these concepts expand our interpretations of ancient texts. We will consider how ancient authors approached rhetorical, aesthetic, and ethical considerations involved in representing suffering, especially with the aim of making audiences "sympathetic," as well as social historical concerns with how trauma narratives shape group identity. Finally, we will look at how these texts have been used to address trauma therapeutically in contemporary contexts.