This course will offer a detailed survey of Greek and Roman epic poetry from Homer’s Iliad to Lucan’s Bellum Civile, with specific attention paid to the production and performance contexts of each text. Over the course of the semester, students will become familiar with the central themes and issues of the epic genre and consider what differentiates poems written in different times and places. Specific topics to be investigated include the role of the gods in mortal affairs, tensions between fate and human agency, how to negotiate personal tragedies within larger conflicts, the relationship between individuals and their society, and the intimate connection between poet and his subject. All texts will be read in translation.