Dangerous Books of Antiquity

All books, even those some regard as "classics," are potentiallydangerous. This course will survey a selection of texts from ancientGreece and Rome that contain dangerous content, got their authors introuble, were censored, inspired rebellion, or enabled social (andantisocial) movements, down to the present moment. In this course, wewill read ancient literature and investigate the common themes thatarise when considering what makes a text dangerous. Topics ofdiscussion will include religion, sex and gender, philosophy, race andethnicity, nationalism, and magic. The course will make use of brieflectures, presentations, and discussion boards, but will leave as muchtime as possible for seminar-style discussion.