Delivered from Destruction: The Bible’s Exodus and Virgil’s Aeneid

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Origin or foundation epics are common to many cultures. In this course we will examine two such epics side-by-side: the Exodus epic (Exodus-Joshua) from the Bible, in which the Israelites are transformed from slaves in Egypt into masters in Canaan, and Virgil’s Aeneid, in which the vanquished at Troy are transformed into the victors at (what will become) Rome. Through careful consideration of both stories we will seek to better understand each epic in its own right as well as what the two stories have in common and what makes each story unique.

Texts
  • Bible
  • Virgil, Aeneid

TAUGHT: SUMMER 2013, SPRING 2024