LAT 30.07 Roman Perspectives on Friendship
Studies the ideology and practice of friendship at Rome through personal letters, short poems, and philosophical discussions. In particular, we consider how the relationship called amicitia fit into the social hierarchy, whether that relationship entailed personal affection, and how Romans dealt with the ethical problems that sometimes arise in the context of friendship. Readings in Latin include personal and political letters of Cicero, short poems of Catullus to both friends and enemies, and Cicero’s essay De amicitia.