WAIT A MINUTE, THESE SATURNALIA TRADITIONS SOUND FAMILIAR...

IO SATURNALIA - Saturnalia Influences on Christmas

One of our Essential Questions asks how our modern culture has been influenced by classical culture.  How about the holidays?!  Please do some research online about Saturnalia: when is it, how it got started, how it was celebrated, what it was all about, the history of it, etc.  Then, armed with that knowledge, write a short paragraph (5-6 sentences) that highlights some of the interesting facts that you discovered in your research.  You should also include a few sentences that describe some of the Christmas traditions that were derived/stolen from Saturnalia.

RESPONSE DUE: MONDAY 1/3/11

THAT BIG OLE' WOODEN HORSE: WOULD YOU LET IT IN?

Virgil's Aeneid - Laocoon and the Killer Snakes

Over the last few days in class we have translated, read, and discussed excerpts from Virgil's Aeneid that explain how the Greeks were able to sneak a giant wooden horse full of soldiers (including the famed mastermind Odysseus) inside the walls of Troy, leading to its downfall.  The Trojans were clearly tricked, but would you have been?

Imagine that you are one of the citizens of Troy standing down on the beach the morning the wooden horse shows up.  You hear Sinon's speech.  You hear Laocoon's response.  You know the treachery of Odysseus, but at the same time you witnessed the snakes.  Do you vote to bring it in, or leave it out?  Explain your answer.  Don't forget...use your Latin name when you post!

RESPONSE DUE: MONDAY 1/3/11