LATN

Martial’s epigrams can be funny, obscene, groveling, literary, outrageous, illuminating, and more.  In this course we’ll read a selection from the many volumes he wrote, starting with the fascinating Liber de Spectaculis describing apparent snuff plays. We will be using the epigrams as a window into different aspects of first century imperial Roman culture, including doctors, criminal justice, mythology, misogyny, city life, intertextuality, sexuality, obscenity, politics, and more.  Please be aware that he can be very vulgar.

Spoken “Lingua Romana rustica” departed from canonical Ancient Latin long before the late eighth century. But at this time the renewed study of the Classics and grammar soon prompted scholars and poets to update the stories of their favorite saints and to inscribe some for the first time. We shall examine examples of ninth-century Carolingian “réécriture” and of tandem new hagiography in both prose and verse by authors such as Lupus of Ferrières, Marcward of Prüm, Wandalbert of Prüm, Hildegar of Meaux, and Heiric of Auxerre. All source readings in Classical Latin adapted to new Carolingian purposes, which we shall also explore historically in their own right.

Tacitus made his debut as a historian with the Histories, a grim but vivid account of Roman imperial rule from Galba to Domitian.  The focus of the course is book 1, which describes the succession of coups and revolts that made 69 AD the “Year of the Four Emperors”.  It provides a rare opportunity to see how Tacitus structures his narrative in comparison with parallel sources, and to appreciate the bold effects which make his style uniquely Tacitean.”

Plautus' Pseudolus is read in Latin, along with secondary readings that explain the social context and the theatrical conventions of Roman comedy. Class meetings are devoted less to translation than to study of the language, plot construction, and stage techniques at work in the Pseudolus.

The course continues the work of grammatical extension and consolidation. We shall cover a variety of poetry and prose by great Latin stylists from the twelfth to the fourteenth century, including Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter of Blois, Petrarch, and Dante. The authors chosen will all be significant for their efforts to reflect the highest classical standards.

The course continues to consolidate the foundations extended in the autumn course based on readings from Cicero. We shall cover a variety of poetry and prose from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, including selections from Boethius, Bede, Lupus of Ferrières, Nithard, and others. The authors chosen will all be significant for their efforts to reflect the highest classical standards.

Immerse yourself in real writings from Ancient Rome, and the long subsequent tradition of Latin literature. This course involves reading selections from a major monument of Roman literature (for instance, Vergil's Aeneid). There will be discussion of the relationship between language and literary art, the legacy of the work or works studied, and study of grammar and vocabulary as necessary.

Immerse yourself in real writings from Ancient Rome, and the long subsequent tradition of Latin literature. Readings this quarter concentrate on selections of Roman poetry (for instance, by Ovid). The class involves discussion of poetic language, the literary and historical context of Roman poetry, and study of grammar and vocabulary as necessary.

Immerse yourself in real writings from Ancient Rome, and the long subsequent tradition of Latin literature. Readings this quarter concentrate on selections of Roman prose (for instance, by Cicero), with an aim to improve reading skills, discuss key concepts in Roman history and culture, and expand knowledge of grammar and vocabulary as necessary. This course is usually appropriate for students who have completed.

This course begins with the completion of the basic text begun in LATN 11100 and concludes with readings from Cicero, Caesar, or other prose texts in Latin.