Advanced Latin Reading: Prose

Course Overview

Advanced Latin Reading: Prose is an elective course for students who wish to continue their study of ancient Roman language and culture by reading selections of Latin prose from the late Republic (133-27 BCE). This course assumes students have mastery of Latin grammar and experience reading works of ancient Roman authors. Therefore to take this course, students must pass a placement test and/or submit transcripts showing satisfactory completion of at least Latin III or its equivalent. Each week students will prepare and translate Latin readings with an accuracy that reflects precise understanding of Latin in all its details (vocabulary, grammar, syntax, literary style, and context). Throughout the course, students will practice writing analytical paragraphs and essays in English that demonstrate the results of critical reading in clear and coherent arguments supported by textual examples. Additionally, the chosen Latin texts will allow students to encounter some of the important people, events, and literary genres of the Roman Republic as a way to learn about the history, literature, and culture of the ancient Romans and their descendants. These chosen texts will also serve as models for students as they compose short passages of their own in Latin. Some secondary English readings are included as well to put the Latin excerpts in a significant context. Students will complete asynchronous work throughout the week such as pre-reading questions, Latin prose composition exercises, Latin sight reading exercises, discussion boards, Edpuzzles, Flipgrids, and Padlets, all of which are hosted on the learning management system. Additionally, students will meet with the instructor once weekly for a two-hour live session via video conferencing software. During this live session, students will translate passages of Latin as a group with assistance from the instructor and discuss the passages’ linguistic, literary, cultural, and historical features. Live session time may also be used for presentations and group projects.

Unit 1:Cicero’s Pro Archia Part 1

This unit uses the first half of Cicero’s Pro Archia Poeta Oratio to develop best practices around reading, translating, and analyzing Latin. Additionally, students will develop a common language for discussing linguistic and literary elements. While this elective assumes mastery over the Latin language and a personal interest in the subject, students come to the course from different paths, so this first unit provides a way for students to orient to a potentially new type of instruction and for the instructor to assess students’ levels and make adjustments as necessary. At the beginning of the unit, students are introduced to the world of the late Roman Republic, the circumstances surrounding the legal case against the poet Archias, and rules for reading Latin prose fluently. After these initial introductions, students will begin to read the Pro Archia with an emphasis on reading for fluency rather than strictly translating. As weekly pre-reading exercises, students will diagram sentences, parse grammatical forms, and answer comprehension questions on Latin passages. These pre-reading exercises are done asynchronously via the learning management system. Once students have a basic understanding of the Latin passages, they will then translate together with the help of the instructor during the weekly two-hour live session conducted in video conferencing software. As they translate in the live session, students will discuss meaning, historical context, complex grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices. After a full reading, translation, and discussion of the Latin passages in the live session, students will complete weekly analytical post-reading exercises in the learning management system that progress from discussion boards, to analytical paragraphs, and finally to an analytical essay in their midterm exam. All post-reading analytical exercises are written in English.

Unit 2: Cicero’s Pro Archia Part 2

This unit uses the second half of Cicero’s Pro Archia Poeta Oratio to explore what a Latin oration may have looked and sounded like. Students will continue to read, translate, and discuss the Pro Archia as the main component of the course. To facilitate their reading, students will complete asynchronous, weekly pre-reading exercises, in which they will diagram sentences, parse grammatical forms, and answer comprehension questions about Latin passages. Once students have a basic understanding of the Latin passages, they will then translate together with the help of the instructor during the weekly two-hour live session conducted using video conferencing software. As they translate in the live session, students will discuss meaning, historical context, complex grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices. In this unit, the post-reading exercises focus on mastering Latin pronunciation, accentuation, intonation, and gestures. In the learning management system, students will complete Edpuzzles on Latin pronunciation and accentuation, record themselves reading passages of the Pro Archia in Latin with correct pronunciation and accentuation, read a secondary source about performative aspects of Roman oratory, and perform a passage of the Pro Archia in Latin during a live session.

Unit 3: Caesar’s De Bello Gallico I and VI

This unit uses selections from Books I and VI Caesar’s De Bello Gallico as a vehicle for studying Roman expansion into Gaul and gaining a better understanding of Roman thought concerning the Gallic peoples while continuing to develop proficiency in reading Latin. At the beginning of the unit, students are introduced to the structure and function of the Roman army through a combination of primary and secondary sources. After this introduction, students begin to read De Bello Gallico with an emphasis on reading for fluency rather than strictly translating. Since this unit begins the second semester, students will move away from preparing for class via teacher-created pre-reading exercises and will move toward preparing for in-class reading and translating on their own. Each week students are expected to read the assigned Latin passage completely, several times if necessary, to see all its words in context. As students read, they should mentally register the ending of every word, not only to see how the words in each sentence relate to each other, but also to recognize each sentence’s main and subordinate clauses and phrases. After becoming comfortable with the structures of the Latin passage, students should review the vocabulary and grammar notes available in their textbooks. Students will do this preparation before the two-hour weekly live session where they will then translate together with the help of the instructor. Although students will no longer submit written pre-reading exercises, it will be evident whether or not students have prepared on their own based on their ability to answer questions and translate when called on. As students translate in the live session, they will consider meaning, historical context, complex grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices. The live session discussions for this unit focus on Caesar’s rhetoric, particularly the rhetoric around his reasons for campaigning in Gaul and his portrayal of the Gallic peoples.  After a full reading, translation, and discussion of the Latin passages in the live session conducted in video-conferencing software, students will complete weekly analytical post-reading exercises in the learning management system. This unit’s post-reading exercises include a discussion board, analytical paragraph, and a several weeks long ethnographic study. All post-reading analytical exercises are written in English.

Unit 4: Caesar’s De Bello Gallico IV

The final unit of the course uses selections from Book IV of Caesar’s De Bello Gallico as a model for students to practice Latin prose composition. All year students have been paying careful attention to the vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and style of Latin. During this unit they have the opportunity to put everything that they have been noticing into practice. For the main component of the course, students will continue to read, translate, and discuss De Bello Gallico. Each week students are expected to read the assigned Latin passage completely, several times if necessary, to see all its words in context. As students read, they should mentally register the ending of every word, not only to see how the words in each sentence relate to each other, but also to recognize each sentence’s main and subordinate clauses and phrases. After becoming comfortable with the structures of the Latin passage, students should review the vocabulary and grammar notes available in their textbooks. Students will do this preparation before the two-hour weekly live session where they will then translate together with the help of the instructor. It will be evident whether or not students have prepared on their own based on their ability to answer questions and translate when called on. As students translate in the live session, they will consider meaning, historical context, complex grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices. The live session discussions for this unit focus on the style of Caesar’s Latin, which many regard as the gold standard for clear and concise Latin prose. After a full reading, translation, and discussion of the Latin passages in the live session conducted in video-conferencing software, students will complete post-reading Latin composition exercises in the learning management system. These Latin composition exercises are based on the Latin passages read in live session and increase in both length and difficulty as the unit progresses. The course ends with a mock trial in which students will try Caesar on the charge of gross negligence for his invasion of Britain. After the completion of this course, students will be prepared to continue on to any other advanced Latin reading course.