Course Description: In this course we will read Plautus’ Miles Gloriosus, the most popular and influential play by Rome’s funniest Roman comedic writer. In addition to being verbally brilliant and amusing in their own right, Plautus’ plays are the earliest complete Latin works to survive, preserving Latin as it existed early in its development as a literary language; also Plautus’ colloquial language is an important source for our understanding of Latin as it would have been spoken in daily life. In reading this play, we will also examine the development and influence of Roman Comedy, as well as the performance aspects of the plays, meter and composition, character development, and how comedy reflects Roman society. In order to supplement our close readings of the Miles, we we will also read in English several plays by Plautus. These investigations will culminate in a piece of original research on an aspect of Roman comedy, its stagecraft, or influence on subsequent literature. Prerequisites: Students should have completed LATN003 or LATN101 or equivalent. Students who have completed LATN002 or equivalent may take the course with permission of instructor.	Conclave: Hall Building 112 Horarium: MWF 10:30-11:30 Magister: Bret Mulligan Studiolum: Hall Building 109 Inscriptio: bmulliga[at]haverford[dot]edu Telephonum: x1052 Horae in Studiolo: MWF 1-3