Ireland and the Ancient World

Course Description

In this course we will examine the reception, interpretation and transmission of Latin texts in contemporary Ireland. We will begin by taking a general look at reception theory, and then go back to the beginnings of Classical reception by exploring how the Romans appropriated the works of their Greek predecessors and refashioned them to create their own original works. After a brief examination of the history of Classical reception in Ireland from the Middle Ages to the present day, we will look at selected passages from Virgil, Horace and Ovid, and see how they have been received and refigured, through translation, imitation or allusion, by a number of modern and contemporary Irish poets.