Latin
The Classics Department offers students two approaches to the study of the ancient world. First, students can emphasize the study of Greek or Latin language and literature. Second, students can explore Greece and Rome in non-language courses falling into the broad categories of ancient literature, ancient history, and art and archaeology. If students wish to pursue their studies of the ancient world more deeply, they can pursue a major or minor in any of three areas: Latin, Greek, and Classical Civilization, according to the schemes described below. The Classics Department encourages students interested in Greece and Rome to experience its physical remains directly through study abroad or immersion trips.
Courses in the Classics Department seek to help students to:
Latin and Greek courses
- Gain an understanding of an ancient literature and culture through the study of its language
- Develop a better understanding of English by studying its Greek and Latin roots
All courses
- Appreciate and enjoy aspects of Greek and Roman culture
- Gain a broad sense of Greek and Roman culture by studying literature, mythology, art, architecture, and social and political history
- Develop perspective on their own beliefs by discovering how Greeks and Romans struggled with questions about divinity, life and death, sexuality and gender, social and political justice, and the like
- Study the historical contexts out of which developed such fundamental Western institutions as the Christian religion and representative democracy
- Learn skills of critical thinking such as reading and interpreting difficult texts, generating information about them through research, solving problems about them and answering questions they raise, and presenting findings to others orally and in writing
Requirements for the Latin Major
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Four Latin course credits beyond the elementary level (LAT-101, LAT-102) | 4 | |
Two course credits in Greek beyond the elementary level (GRK-101, GRK-102) | 2 | |
LAT-400 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
Total Credits | 7 |
Majors in Latin should also consider choosing some of the following related courses, which are not required but provide a broader context for students’ study of ancient language and literature:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
HIS-212 | Ancient Rome | 1 |
HIS-310 | Advanced Topics in Ancient History | 0.5-1 |
CLA-104 | Roman Art & Archaeology 1 | 1 |
CLA-106 | Ancient Rome 1 | 1 |
CLA-111 | Special Topics in Literature and Culture | 0.5-1 |
CLA-112 | Special Topics in Art and Archaeology | 0.5-1 |
CLA-113 | Special Topics in Ancient History | 0.5-1 |
CLA-211 | Special Topics in Literature and Culture | 1 |
CLA-212 | Special Topics in Art and Archaeology | 1 |
CLA-213 | Special Topics in Ancient History | 1 |
PSC-330 | Adv Topics in Political Theory | 0.5-1 |
RHE-320 | Classical Rhetoric | 1 |
1 | Especially encouraged because of their emphasis on chronology. |
Requirements for the Latin Minor
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Five course credits in Latin | 5 | |
Total Credits | 5 |
Comprehensive Examinations in the Classics Department examine students in the three areas (Classical Civilization, Greek, or Latin) in which they choose to major within the department. The examinations are made up by the department after consulting the range of courses each student presents for his major, and test both general knowledge in the area he chooses and specific knowledge over the selection of the courses he presents.
LAT-101 Beginning Latin I
This is a course for students who have had little
or no preparation in Latin. The course is
primarily concerned with the fundamentals of the
language. Its aim is to prepare students to read
Latin literature, to improve their command of the
English language by studying the close relations
(historic and linguistic) between English, Latin
and the Romance Languages, and to gain exposure
to Roman culture. Four class meetings each week.
Students with more than two years of high school
Latin who wish to continue the language must take
a placement exam. Such students cannot take LAT
101 for credit, but LAT 102 may be taken for
credit if they do not place into LAT 201. This
course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: none
Corequisites: LAT-101L
Credit: 1
LAT-102 Beginning Latin II
This is a course for students who have had little
or no preparation in Latin. The course is
primarily concerned with the fundamentals of the
language. Its aim is to prepare students to read
Latin literature, to improve their command of the
English language by studying the close relations
(historic and linguistic) between English, Latin
and the Romance Languages, and to gain exposure
to Roman culture. Four class meetings each week.
Students with more than two years of high school
Latin who wish to continue the language must take
a placement exam. Such students cannot take LAT
101 for credit, but LAT 102 may be taken for
credit if they do not place into LAT 201. This
course is offered in the spring semester.
Prerequisites: LAT-101 or LAT-102 placement
Corequisites: LAT-102L
Credit: 1
LAT-187 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-188 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-201 Intermediate Latin I
This course is intended to satisfy the needs of
two classes of students: (1) those with previous
preparation in Latin (usually two years or more
in high school) whose performance on the
Placement Test shows that they need only a
semester's work to reach the Basic Proficiency
level; (2) students who have completed LAT 101,
102 and desire to continue their study of the
language. The emphasis will be on developing
facility in reading Latin. Students will read
selections from classical poetry and prose. If a
student who places into LAT 201 completes the
course with a grade of B- or better, he will
receive an additional course credit in Latin;
this course credit does not count towards the
major or minor. This course is offered in the
fall semester.
Prerequisites: LAT-102, or LAT-201 placement
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, World Language
LAT-210 Medieval Latin
Students in this course will study readings in
Medieval Latin prose and poetry. This course is
offered by arrangement.
Prerequisites: LAT-101 and LAT-102
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-287 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-288 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-301 Advanced Latin Reading: Poetry
Selections to suit the needs and interests of the
class will be made from Latin poetry. The material
will be varied from year to year and the course
may be elected more than once. This course is
offered in rotation with LAT 303. Refer to the
Course Descriptions document on the Registrar's
webpage for topics and descriptions of current
offerings.
Prerequisites: LAT-201, or LAT-301 placement
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, World Language
LAT-302 Advanced Latin Reading: Prose
Selections to suit the needs and interests of the
class will be made from Latin history, oratory,
epistolography, and philosophy. The material will
be varied from year to year and the course may be
elected more than once. Refer to the Course
Descriptions document on the Registrar's webpage
for topics and descriptions of current offerings.
Prerequisites: LAT-201, or LAT-302 placement
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, World Language
LAT-303 Advanced Latin Reading: Vergil
Readings in Latin will be selected from the
corpus of Vergil, with special emphasis on the
Aeneid. This course is offered in rotation with
LAT 301. Refer to the Course Descriptions document
on the Registrar's webpage for topics and
descriptions of current offerings.
Prerequisites: LAT-201
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-330 Composition
This is a systematic review and study of
fundamental Latin forms and constructions with
practice in writing Latin sentences. This course
is offered by arrangement.
Prerequisites: LAT-101 and LAT-102, or LAT-201 placement
Credit: 1
Distribution: World Language
LAT-387 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-388 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-400 Senior Seminar
This is a seminar on a selected topic with a
project supervised by a member of the department.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-487 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
LAT-488 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department Chair before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts