00567 - Latin Literature (A-G)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to present authors and genres of the literature of Rome in their historical development and the basic tools for interpreting Latin texts and documents.
The following knowledge and skills will be requested:
1. knowledge of the literary history, which includes the ability to outline profiles of the main genres, authors (listed in the programme) and their works and set them in their historical and literary environment;
2. the ability to translate the texts in Latin listed in the programme;
3. knowledge of phonetics, morphology and basic syntax, as appearing in the mentioned texts;
4. the ablity of carrying out a literary analysis of the studied texts (both in Latin and in Italian).

Course contents

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Images of the Underwold at Rome

  Through the examination of the representations of the underworld by a few authors (from Catullus to Boethius) - examined partly in Latin, partly in translation - the course aims to present the development of the main genres of Roman literature and to provide the tools for the interpretation of texts.

A thorough reading of the following passages is required: Ennius, Annales, frr. 1-12 Sk.; Catullus, carm. 3, 5, 101; Cicero, The dream of Scipio (§§ 13-14 and 16-22); Lucretius, The nature of things, III, 1-93; 931-1094; Horace, Odes I 4; 11; 28; II 20; IV 7; Vergil, Aeneid, I 1-33; VI 268-336; 384-425; 548-655; 724-751; 476-493; 826-887 (in addition to these passages in Latin, students are requested to read the whole VIth book in translation); Seneca, Hercules furens, 655-829 (only in translation); Oedipus, 530-658; Troades 156-163; 371-408.

II. CORE COURSE
Latin Language (syntax); Latin Literature (history of Latin literature),Textual Criticism, Metres (elegiac couplet).

III. AUTHORS
1. Cicero: Pro Archia.
2. Juvenal: Satire 8
3. Vergil: Aeneid, Book IV

IV. CRITICAL ESSAYS (see. Bibliography)

SCHEDULE: monday, thursday, friday, 11-13, aula Tibiletti (via Zamboni 38). The course will start on Monday 26 September.

SEMINARS

(if not specified, hosted by the Dipartimento di Filologia Classica e Italianistica, 32 Zamboni Street, 3rd floor - Aula Pascoli), from 5 October.

Authors
1. Lecture of Cicero, Pro Archia (D. Pellacani): Wednesday, 15-16 (students A-L); 16-17 (students M-Z).
2. Lecture of Juvenal, Satire 8 (G. Dimatteo): Thursday, 15-16 (students A-L); 16-17 (students M-Z).
3. Lecture of Virgil, Aeneid book IV (O. Fuà): Thursday, 13-15 (students M-Z); Friday, 13-15 (students A-L).

Latin Language: the students of the course of Letteratura latin can also attend the seminars of the course of Lingua latina:
1. Beginners – I semester: see the program of Lingua Latina
2. Intermediate 1st level (morphology and elementary syntax) – II semester: see the program of Lingua Latina
3. Intermediate 2nd level (translation and syntax) – II semester: see the program of Lingua Latina.

Readings/Bibliography

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Texts: Vergil, Eneide, lib. VI, from Eneide, introduzione di A. La Penna, traduzione e note di R. Scarcia, Milano, Rizzoli BUR 2002, or Virgilio, Eneide, traduzione di M. Ramous, introduzione di G.B. Conte, commento di G. Baldo, Venezia, Marsilio, 1998.
For broader commentaries, see: Virgilio, Eneide, a cura di E. Paratore, traduzione di L. Canali, vol. III, libri V-VI, Milano, Mondadori, 1992; P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Sextus, with a commentary by R.G. Austin, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1977; Virgil, Aeneid 6. A Commentary, by N. Horsfall, Berlin-Boston, De Gruyter, 2013.
The texts of the other ancient authors will be uploaded on the online teachings materials.
The knowledge of the hexameter is required also for the texts of the special focus course (i.e. Lucretius); the students are warmly invited to learn also the greater and lesser aslepiadean, as well as the Sapphic and Alcaic stanzas.

Readings: almost three essays / chapters from the following list: M. Citroni, Poesia e lettori in Roma antica, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1995, 119-127; F. Cumont, After life in Roman paganism, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1922; I. Dionigi, L'Inferno è qui. Un esempio di lettura lucreziana (De rerum natura 3, 978-1023), in Latina Didaxis. XII, Genova 1998, 19-34; A. Long, La mente, l'anima, il corpo. Modelli greci, Torino, Einaudi, 2015; P. Mantovanelli, Populus infernae Stygis. Il motivo dei dannati del mito in Seneca tragico, Quaderni di Cultura e Tradizione Classica di Palermo, 11, 1993, pp. 135-147 (rist. in Patologia del potere. Studi sulle tragedie di Seneca, Bologna, Patron 2014, 127-140); C. Pascal, Le credenze d'oltretomba nelle opere letterarie dell'antichita classica, Torino, Paravia, 1923, voll. I-II (rist. Forlì, Victrix, 2006); G. Petrone, Paesaggio dei morti e paesaggio del male: il modello dell’oltretomba virgiliano nelle tragedie di Seneca, Quaderni di Cultura e Tradizione Classica di Palermo, 4-5, 1986/87, 131-143; A. Setaioli, Inferi, loci, in Enciclopedia Virgiliana, Roma, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 1995, vol. II, pp. 955-963.

II. CORE COURSE
Language: I. Dionigi - E. Riganti - L. Morisi, Il latino, Bari, Laterza 2011 is recommended. As for the syntax: A. Traina, Sintassi normativa della lingua latina, Bologna, Cappelli, 1993. As an alternative, Allen and Greenough's New Latin grammar, Ginn & Company, Boston-NY-Chicago, 1903 (both for syntax and morphology). See also A. Traina - G. Bernardi Perini,Propedeutica al latino universitario, Bologna, Pàtron, 2007, chapt. II-VI.
Literature: G.B. Conte, Letteratura latina. Manuale storico dalle origini alla fine dell'impero romano, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2002, or M. Citroni, Letteratura di Roma antica, Bari, Laterza, 1997 [also in Engl. transl.: G.B. Conte, Latin Literature: A History, Baltimore, The John Hopkins UP, 1994] or V. Citti - C. Casali - C.Neri, Gli autori nella letteratura latina. Disegno storico. Dalle origini alla tarda latinità, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2005.
Textual criticsm and Latin metres: A. Traina - G. Bernardi Perini, Propedeutica al latino universitario, Bologna, Pàtron, 2007, chapt. VII-VIII.

III. AUTHORS
Cicero: Il poeta Archia, a c. di E. Narducci, traduzione di G. Bertonati, Milano, Rizzoli BUR, 2000.
Juvenal: Satire, a cura di B. Santorelli, Milano, Mondadori, 2011; or Satire, a cura di L. Canali - E. Barelli, Milano, BUR, 1976.
Vergilius: Eneid, Book IV, from Eneide, introduzione di A. La Penna, traduzione e note di R. Scarcia, Milano, Rizzoli BUR 2002, or Virgilio, Eneide, traduzione di M. Ramous, introduzione di G.B. Conte, commento di G. Baldo, Venezia, Marsilio, 1998.

Teaching methods

Lectures in class;
Seminars (where individual research will be discussed and essays and tests corrected).

Assessment methods

In a viva voce examination the students will be tested Latin phonetics, morphology, syntax and literature through the reading and translation of the Latin texts dealt with in class and listed in the programme. Students are required to read the elegiac couplet, and analyze its prosody; and also to answer questions about the main authors, genres, periods of the Latin literature, and to discuss discuss the essays and topics related to the special focus course.

failing grades: lack of basic linguistic knowledge and inability to produce a correct translation and interpretation of the text. Lack of knowledge of Latin literature

passing grades: language proficiency at an intermediate level; translation and literary interpretation of the texts mostly correct, but inaccurate and lacking autonomy
excellent grades: language proficiency at an upper-mid level; translation and interpretation of the texts not only correct, but performed with autonomy and precision. Knowledge of Latin prosody and metrics.

Teaching tools

1. Online teaching materials: (see webpage above); handouts with the same content will be distributed in class
2. Seminars (cf. course content) devoted to the introduction to the bases of the Latin language (phonetics, morphology and syntax)

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Citti