The use of hateful, abusive, and insinuating speech by contemporary politicians and the media is not a novel phenomenon. Forms of verbal attack commonly encountered today have precedents in ancient Greek and Roman writings, and in this course we will examine the diverse forms and uses of hate speech and invective in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Throughout an emphasis will be placed on comparing ancient and contemporary hate speech in order to investigate similarities and differences in terms of speakers, targets, audiences, topics, rhetorical techniques, and cultural and historical contexts. In general, course participants are encouraged to reflect on the cultural assumptions and biases at work in hate speech, how it is used by political actors, and the relationships between rhetoric, persuasion, and truth.
Service Learning Opportunity!