English Language, Literature and Creative Writing Blog

 Ashwin, Roll No. 202554, a student of B.A.English Honours 1st sem, prepared this comprehensive and brilliant project work    Greek Mythology Greek Mythology is a broad genre which was influenced by Ancient Greek Folklore consisting of oral narratives in the form of ghost stories and urban legends which later on were propagated widely through their widespread use in Ancient Greek Literature. Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey and his contemporary Hesiod’s Theogony were one of the initial literary works which contained accounts of conflicts between Greeks and their rivals or in the case of Odysseus, his never ending voyage following the Trojan War which consists of various references to Greek gods such as Athena, Poseidon and Zeus. Moreover Hesiod’s Theogony describes the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods and his Works and Days describe the creation of man. Apart from this, presence of archaeological evidence in the form of paintings, artifacts a...

  Ovid, Latin in full Publius Ovidius Naso, (born March 20, 43 BCE, Sulmo, Roman Empire [now Sulmona, Italy]—died 17 CE, Tomis, Moesia [now Constanṭa, Romania]), Roman poet noted especially for his  Ars Amatoria  and  Metamorphoses . His verse had immense influence both by its imaginative interpretations of Classical myth and as an example of supreme technical accomplishment. Publius Ovidius Naso was, like most Roman men of letters, a provincial. He was born at Sulmo, a small town about 90 miles (140 km) east of Rome. The main events of his life are described in an autobiographical poem in the  Tristia  (Sorrows). His family was old and respectable, and sufficiently well-to-do for his father to be able to send him and his elder brother to Rome to be educated. At Rome he embarked, under the best teachers of the day, on the study of rhetoric. Ovid was thought to have the makings of a good orator, but in spite of his f...

European Classical Literature refers to the literature of ancient Greece and Rome mainly and other older civilisations too. The works of Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Horace, Ovid comprise Classical European Literature/ Classical Literature. In these ancient poems, plays, and other genres, Greek and Latin languages are used There is a myth that Rome was founded by two brothers –Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars. Romulus killed his twin brother Remus and became the Emperor of Rome. Rome is named after him. Rome was ruled by kings first and then there was a phase of republic.   King Augustus (63 BC-14 AD)was one of the greatest rulers. The city of ancient Rome was surrounded by seven hills—Aventine Hill, Caelian Hill, Capitoline Hill, Esquiline Hill, Palatine Hill, Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. Rome was rich in theatres, gymnasiums, taverns. Roman architecture developed from country houses, to villas, to palace like palatial mansions The Greek Civilization ...

  Menander (342 BC-290 BC) was a famous and prolific Greek comic dramatist. He is said to have written more than a hundred comedies, of which only one—Dyskolos—is available. Plautus was exposed to Greek theatre and Greek New Comedy, especially the comedy of Menander, when he joined the Roman army as a soldier and travelled across Southern Italy. Plautus chose to rework Menander’s plays instead of just translating them. He introduced local Roman colour in the plays. Though he borrowed the plot and characters from the original play, he would add his own brand of slapstick comedy and raucous humour to the play. Plautus also introduced music, song and dance in his plays. Today, this aspect of his plays is lost to us as very little of Roman comedy has remained for the modern world to study. He is said to have written more than 130 plays, but we have access to only 21 of them in the present age. They are written in Latin and are possibly the earliest works of Roman literature. Some of hi...

  The Pot of Gold by Plautus is a story about a pot of gold that was entrusted by Euclio’s grandfather to his deity by burying it in the ground. The pot is kept hidden from all until Euclio’s daughter, Phaedria, endears herself to the god. The story has many characters who in one way or another contribute to the plot development, and they include: The guardian spirit – The guardian spirit speaks in the prologue and does not appear thereafter. Staphyla – She is an old lady who acts as Euclio’s housekeeper. Megadorus – He is a wealthy old man who is also Eunomia’s brother. Euclio – He is the main character in the play. He is an old man and father to Phaedrium. Eunomia – She is a woman of high status and a sister to Megadorus. Lyconides – Lyconides is a young man and also Eunomia’s son. Congrio – He is a cook who is hired for Phaedria’s wedding and is perceived to be rather slow. Strobilus – Strobilus is a slave who works for megadorus. Lyconides’ servant – No name is...