Propaganda in Caesar and Vergil

This week’s feature post comes to us from Ruth Breindel:
After reading Vergil and Caesar for the AP, I give my students this assignment, so that they can see how propaganda is used by both authors.  During the year we discuss propaganda – the portrayal of Aeneas, the scenes in Book 6 of the Aeneid, Caesar’s discussions of the Gauls and how he makes himself look better – and its importance to the text and the authors (especially Vergil, writing at the time of Augustus!).  By linking it to modern day examples, the students see how propaganda continues even now, and how effective it can be.
In addition, take a look at this article that was just published: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22569913

More from the CANE blog

Links for the Week of 16 December

A petition to keep the tomb of the Roman general who inspired Gladiator from being reburied: http://dariusaryadigs.com/2012/save-the-gladiator-tomb-sign-the-ipetition/ (via @SaveRome) A Kickstarter to raise money for

Squirrelly weather

Squirrelly weather. One of the disadvantages of teaching Latin in New England in the winter is that, when you try to go over weather terms

Links for the Week of 20 January

The deadline to apply for the American Academy in Rome Classical Summer School has been extended to 31 January and there are still funding opportunities

Links for the week of 9 September

Dr. Kristina Killgrove speaks about a Roman Dinner at a Science Cafe in Pensacola: http://www.poweredbyosteons.org/2012/09/invitation-to-ancient-roman-dinner.html (If the talk ends up online, we’ll link to it.)