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Elementary Courses
Two convictions are basic to the Elementary Latin Program of the Department of Classical Studies: (1) it is possible for every able-minded person to master the basic facts of a foreign language and (2) the learning experience leading to such a mastery is a privilege that is very specifically human and ought to be most satisfying. Essential facts of morphology, syntax, semantics, vocabulary, history and culture are taught, and a knowledge of these facts enables students to understand Latin written by the famous authors of the Golden Age. Since at least 50% of the vocabulary of an educated speaker of English is Latin in origin, English vocabulary improves as Latin stems and derivatives are learned. The program normally takes four terms to complete. A placement test may be taken at the beginning or end of a term, and a student may succeed in placing out of one or more courses in the introductory sequence.
In the Elementary Latin Program, the department is offering Latin 101, 102, 193, 231, and 232. Latin 101 (see below) is for students with little or no previous Latin. A placement examination will determine the appropriate course for other students who enter the elementary sequence. Students with questions about which course to elect are encouraged to visit 2147 Angell Hall, 764-8297.
101. Elementary Latin. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 103, 193, or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 101 are directed toward the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or conversation. The course has as its primary objective the acquisition of a fundamental understanding of basic Latin grammar and the development of basic reading skills. The text for the course is Knudsvig, Seligson, and Craig, Latin for Reading. Latin 101 covers approximately the first half of the text. Grading is based on quizzes, class participation, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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102. Elementary Latin. Latin 101. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 193 or 502. (4). (LR).
All of the assigned tasks/exercises in Latin 102 are directed toward the reading and translation of Classical Latin and not toward writing or conversation. The course continues the presentation of the essentials of the Latin language as it covers the last half of Knudsvig, Seligson, and Craig, Latin for Reading. Extended reading selections from Plautus (comedy) and Eutropius (history) are introduced. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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193. Intensive Elementary Latin I. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 101, 102, 103 or 502. (4). (Excl).
This course is a rapid introduction to Latin and is intended for students with little or no prior Latin. Upperclass undergraduates in such fields as history, medieval or renaissance literature, or linguistics and who need to acquire a reading competence in Latin as quickly and as efficiently as possible should elect this course. So should other undergraduates who intend to continue the study of Latin and want a rapid introduction that enables them to take upper-level Latin courses as soon as possible. (Note: completion of 193-194 alone does not satisfy the undergraduate language requirement). This first term course covers elementary grammar and syntax. Cost:1 WL:1 (D.O. Ross)
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231. Introduction to Latin Prose. Latin 102 or 103. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503. (4). (LR).
This course reviews grammar as it introduces students to extended passages of classical Latin prose through selections from several authors of the first centuries B.C. and A.D., but primarily from Pliny the Younger. Class discussions center upon the readings. Some course materials require the use of a computer. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour examinations, and a final. Cost:1 WL:3
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232. Vergil, Aeneid. Latin 231 or 221. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 194, 222, or 503. (4). (LR).
The goal of this course is simple: to learn to read extensive passages of the greatest work of Latin literature, Vergil's Aeneid, with comprehension and enjoyment. This course will ask you to bring together and apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired up to this point and to build on these as you learn to read poetry. There will be some grammar review as necessary. You will also study Vergil's epic poem in English translation. By term's end you should have both a good understanding and appreciation of what the Aeneid is all about and an ability to handle a Latin passage of the poem with control and comprehension. Grading is based on class participation, quizzes, hour exams, and a final. Cost:2 WL:1 (Wallin)
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Intermediate Courses
401. Republican Prose. Latin 301 or 302. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of 9 credits.
Livy's history of Rome was written during the reign of Augustus (31 B.C. to A.D. 14), and it is fundamental in creating the concept of "Romanness" that the Emperor sought to establish. We will read from the early books of Livy, which cover the period from Rome's foundation down to the Gallic Sack of 390 B.C. Primary emphasis will initially be on reading speed and comprehension, but later on analysis of content and prose style. Cost:1 (Frier)
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409. Augustan Poetry. Latin 301 or 302. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of 9 credits.
Readings in Augustan poetry with attention paid especially to language and poetic context (specific texts to be announced). Midterm and final exams. (Hershkowitz)
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Advanced Courses
466. Horace. Latin 301. (3). (Excl).
The ODES of Horace will be read, with attention to the diction, style, meter, and interpretation of the verse. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the poems in their literary and historical context. Familiarity with Greek lyric and contemporary Roman poetry is desirable, but not essential. Readings in secondary literature will be assigned. There will be a paper, midterm, and final.(Hershkowitz)
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