13275 - Latin Language (1) (A-D)

Learning outcomes

Knowledge to be obtained by the end of the course 1) the student knows elements of phonetics of the Latin language 2) he knows morphology, syntax and basic vocabulary of the Latin language 3) he knows some basic elements of the history of the Latin language aimed to provide a full understanding of the main morphological structures. Skills to be obtained by the end of the course: 1) the student can pronounce the Latin language correctly 2) he can recognize and describe the main morphosyntatic structures 3) he can decline nouns, pronouns, adjectives and conjugate verbs correctly 4) he can translate and analyze previously seen texts.

Course contents

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Latin poetic language: a selection from Vergil, Eneid, book I (vv. 1-33), X (vv. 439-509), and XII (vv. 1-80; 697-842; 887-952).

II. CORE COURSE
Latin Language: phonetics, morphology, vocabulary, syntax.

III. AUTHORS: (in Latin) Cornelius Nepos, from The viris illustribus: Praefatio and Vita Attici.

IV. CRITICAL ESSAYS see Bibliography

SEMINARS
First semester: beginners (OFA students) are required to attend basic-level seminars.

Second semester:
- Lectures from Cornelius Nepos (to be confirmed).
- Latin Language: Intermediate 1st level (morphology and basic elements of syntax) (to be confirmed).

Readings/Bibliography

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Texts: Virgilio, Eneide, traduzione e cura di A. Fo, note di F. Giannetti, testo latino a fronte, Torino, Einaudi, 2012; or A. Traina, Virgilio. L'utopia e la storia, Torino, Loescher, 1997; or Virgil, Aeneid Book XII, ed. by R.Tarrant, Cambridge, UP, 2012.

II. CORE COURSE
I. Dionigi – E. Riganti – L. Morisi, Il latino, Bari, Laterza 2011, or Verba et res. Morfosintassi e lessico del latino, 2 voll., Bari, Laterza, 1999; A. Traina – G. Bernardi Perini,Propedeutica al latino universitario, Bologna, Pàtron, 1995, capp. I-VI (on peculiar topics of phonetics, morphology, syntax). As an alternative, Allen and Greenough's New Latin grammar, Ginn & Company, Boston-NY-Chicago, 1903 (both for syntax and morphology).

III. AUTHORS
Cornelius Nepos, De viris illustribus: as for Praefatio and Vita Attici are concerned, a translation into Italian, with commentary on grammar will be available among the teaching material.

IV CRITICAL ESSAYS
students are required to read one for the following essays: A. Barchiesi, La morte di Turno, in La traccia del modello, Pisa, Giardini, 1984, 91-122; V. Di Benedetto, La consapevolezza di morte in Turno, "Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica" 123, 1995, 45-72 (rist. in Il richiamo del testo, Pisa, ETS, 2007, 1779-1803; R. Tarrant, The Last Book of the Aeneid, "Syllecta Classica" 15, 2004, 103-29; A. Traina, Il libro XII dell'Eneide, in Poeti latini e neolatini IV, Bologna, Patron, 1994, 75-95 (rist. in Virgilio. L'utopia e la storia, 207-216); A. Traina, Turno. Costruzione di un personaggio, in Poeti latini e neolatini V, Bologna, Patron 1998, 91-120.

Students who don't attend the course are required to read also: M. Fruyt, Word-Formation in Classical Latin, in A companion to the latin language, edited by James Clackson, Maiden (MA)-Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, pp. 157-175 (available among the teaching materials).

Teaching methods

Lecture is the teaching approach adopted for the special focus course; interactive lessons are adopted in the seminars: here the students are more active participants to the learning process, which includes exercises and periodical tests.

Assessment methods

The final exam consists in two parts:
- a written test that consists in translating a short text from Latin into Italian (with the use of a Dictionary); the written test has to be taken before the viva voce conversation.
- a viva voce conversation, designed to assess the ability of the student to read, understand and translate the Latin texts listed in the program; therefore, the ability to answer questions about Latin grammar (phonetic, morphology, basic syntax); the ability to discuss the essays and the subjects covered by the special focus course.
- the exam can be divided into to parts (special focus course and core course and taken on two different sessions. The exam on core course has to be taken before the exam on special focus course (the second part has to be taken within two sessions)

Assessment guidelines:
failing grades: lack of basic linguistic knowledge (phonetic, morphology, basic syntax) and inability to produce a correct translation and a correct interpretation of the texts.
passing grades: proficiency in the basic linguistic skills; translation and interpretation of texts mostly correct, but inaccurate and lacking in autonomy.
positive grades: language proficiency at an intermediate level; translation and interpretation of the texts fully correct, but not always accurate and autonomous.
excellent grades: language proficiency at an upper-mid level; translation and interpretation of the texts not only correct but performed with autonomy and precision.

Teaching tools

1. Online teaching materials (e.g. slides)
2. Seminars (cf. course content) aimed to the introduction to the bases of the Latin language (phonetics, morphology and syntax) and to the texts belonging to the program (Nepos).
3. Latin Video lessons, available at https://elearning-pro.unibo.it/course/view.php?id=1162

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Citti