From mythical heroines to the emperor's subjects: epistolography in the Roman Empire
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- Start Date: 02 Dec 2025End Date: 02 Dec 2025Tue (Evening): 18:00 - 19:00OnlineFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
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What is the course about?
This short course will give an overview of epistolography (letter writing) as a literary genre in the Roman world. After a brief introduction to the practical aspects of letter writing, we will consider some examples of literary letters, including Cicero's letters to his family and friends, Ovid's "Epistles of the heroines" (allegedly penned by heroines of myth to their husbands or lovers), Seneca's philosophical treatises in letter form, and Pliny's correspondence with the emperor Trajan. No previous knowledge of the Roman world is necessary, and all texts will be read in English translation.
This is part of a series of talks about the connections in the ancient Mediterranean world, which will culminate in a day of lecture at City Lit on Saturday 9th December.
What will we cover?
Cicero's letters to his family and friends, Ovid's "Epistles of the heroines", Seneca's philosophical treatises in letter form, and Pliny's correspondence with the emperor Trajan.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
share some knowledge about the topic of the talk.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a taster course. You do not need any particular skills.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Illustrated lecture followed by Q&A. No work outside of class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing material if you would like to take notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Any other ancient civilisation courses. See our website for details.
Dr Nikoletta Manioti teaches Classical Greek and Latin. Originally from Thessaloniki, Greece, she has a PhD in Classics from the University of Durham. Before coming to City Lit she held academic positions at the University of St Andrews (2012-17 and 2018-2021), at King's College London (2017-18), Birkbeck, University of London (2017-18), and Royal Holloway, University of London (2022-23). She is interested in all aspects of the ancient world, but her research focuses on the family and the representation of space in literature. She is currently writing a book on sisters in 1st century BC Rome. Nikoletta loves teaching in general, and Greek and Latin in particular. She loves learning languages too: she is fluent in Italian; reads French, German, and Spanish; and knows the basics of Portuguese and Swedish.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.