00567 - Latin Literature (A-D)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to present authors and genres of the literature of Rome in their historical development and to provide the basic tools (phonetics, morphology, syntax, prosody and textual criticism) for interpreting Latin texts and documents.

Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to competently demonstrate:
1. knowledge of Roman literature (main genres, authors and works set in their historical and literary context);
2. knowledge of Latin language (phonetics, morphology, syntax), of Latin prosody and of the basic concepts of textual criticism as appearing in the mentioned texts;
3. capacity to translate the Latin texts listed in the programme;
4. capacity to carry out a literary and linguistic analysis of the listed in the programme.

Course contents

In order to make the study of the handbook of Latin Literature more effective, classes will provide an overview of different literary genres. The course will be divided up into three parts: the first one will be held by prof. Ivano Dionigi and will start on September the 24th; the second one, held by prof. Francesco Citti will start as soon as the first one is over; the third one, held by prof. Bruna Pieri will start as soon as the second is over.

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE (lessons in class)
The literary genres in Roman literature

• module I (I. Dionigi): Philosophical Prose and Didactic Poetry (readings from Lucretius' De rerum natura and Seneca's De otio).
• module II (F. Citti): Theatre and Lyrics
  (readings from Terence's Adelphoe; Horace's Odes; Seneca's Oedipus)
• module III (B. Pieri):Epic and Elegy
  (readings from Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Heroides)

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Recidiva ponas Pergama: the aim of the course is to present the main genres of Latin literature through various rewritings of the fundamental myth of Troy.

The course is divided into two modules (1. a 20 hour module [every Friday: A. Ziosi]; 2. a 40 hour module [Monday and Thursday: F. Citti]) both devoted to the analysis of the myth of Troy.

Texts: analysis (of the Latin text and/or the Italian translation) of passages from: Plautus (Bacchides 925-978); Lucretius (DRN, I 459-483; III 1-30); Horace (Odes I 15; III 3);  Virgil (Aeneid II - the whole book in translation, lines 1-56; 199-245; 268-298; 486-558 in Latin); Ovid (Amores I 1,1-4; Heroides 7,77-85; Metamorphoses XIII - the whole book in translation, lines 399-473 in Latin); Seneca (Troades 371-523; 594-813); Petronius (Satyricon, 89).

Critical literature: the analysis of the texts is complemented by the reading of a number of critical essays.

II. CORE COURSE
Latin Language (syntax); Latin Literature (history of Latin literature), elements of Textual Criticism, Metrics (hexameter and elegiac couplet).

As for Literary History, students are required to study the history of Latin Literature, in particular, a biographical and stylistic profile of the following authors: Augustine, Apuleius, Catullus, Caesar, Cicero, Cornelius Nepo, Ennius, Juvenal, Historia Augusta, Horace, Jerome, Livy, Livius Andronicus, Lucan, Lucilius, Lucretius, Martial, Naevius, Ovid, Petronius, Plautus, Pliny the Elder, Propertius, Quintilian, Sallust, Seneca, Suetonius, Tacitus, Terence, Varro, Virgil.

III. AUTHORS
1. Cicero: Pro Archia.
2. Virgil: Aeneid, Book 4
* For the students of the Degree Course in Philosophy: please see the note below.

IV. CRITICAL ESSAYS (see. Bibliography)

 

LECTURES: Monday, 11-13 aula Tibiletti, v. Zamboni 38; Thursday 11-13 aula Tibiletti, v. Zamboni 38; Friday 11-13 aula V, via Zamboni 38. The course will start on Monday 25 September.

SEMINARS: from 5 October, in Aula Pascoli (via Zamboni 32):

1. Cicero, Pro Archia (D. Pellacani): Thursday, 15-17.
2. Virgil, Aeneid, Book 4 (O. Fuà): Thursday, 13-15 (students M-Z); Friday, 13-15 (students A-L).

Readings/Bibliography

I. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE
Texts: Virgil: Aeneid, Book 2, from Virgilio, Eneide, introduzione di A. La Penna, traduzione e note di R. Scarcia, Milano, Rizzoli 2002; or Virgilio, Eneide, traduzione di M. Ramous, introduzione di G.B. Conte, commento di G. Baldo, Venezia, Marsilio, 1998; Ovid: Ovidio, Metamorfosi, a cura di N. Scivoletto, Torino, Utet (Classici latini) 2013, or Metamorfosi, vol. VI, a cura di P. Hardie, Milano, Mondadori, 2015; Seneca: Seneca,  Le Troiane, a cura di F. Stok, Milano, Rizzoli, 1999.

The Latin texts (in particular Plautus, Lucretius, Horace, Ovid and Petronius) will be uploaded in the ‘Teaching materials’. Metrical reading and scansion are required also for the texts in the special focus course.

Critical Readings: at least 2 essays from this list: A. Barchiesi, Introduzione, a Ovidio. Metamorfosi (libri I-II), vol. I, a cura di A. Barchiesi, Milano: Mondadori, 2005, CV-CLXI; G.B. Conte, La strategia della contraddizione: sulla forma drammatica dell'Eneide, in Virgilio: l'epica del sentimento, Torino: Einaudi, 2007, 125-142; G. Funaioli, Sul mito di Laocoonte in Virgilio, in Studi di letteratura antica, Bologna: Zanichelli, 1948, vol. II, 175-192; R. Heinze, La tecnica epica di Virgilio, Bologna: Il Mulino, 1996, 33-67; G. Petrone, Troia senza futuro. Il ruolo del secondo coro nelle Troades di Seneca, in Seneca e la letteratura greca e latina, Pavia: Pavia UP, 2013, F. Stok, Introduzione a Seneca. Le Troiane, Milano: Rizzoli, 1999, 5-37.

II. CORE COURSE
Language: I. Dionigi - E. Riganti - L. Morisi, Il latino, Bari, Laterza 2011 is recommended. For Latin syntax: A. Traina, Sintassi normativa della lingua latina, Bologna: Pàtron, 2015. As an alternative, Allen and Greenough's New Latin grammar, Ginn & Company, Boston-NY-Chicago, 1903 (both for syntax and morphology). For specific problems of phonetics, morphology and syntax: 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 [in English: G.B. Conte, Latin Literature: A History, Baltimore, The John Hopkins UP, 1994]; or M. Citroni, Letteratura di Roma antica, Bari: Laterza, 1997; 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 metrics: A. Traina - G. Bernardi Perini, Propedeutica al latino universitario, Bologna, Pàtron, 2007, chapt. VII-VIII.

III. AUTHORS
Cicero: Il poeta Archia, a cura di E. Narducci, traduzione di G. Bertonati, Milano: Rizzoli BUR, 2000.
Virgil: Eneide, 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.

* The students of the Degree Course in Philosophy can read Seneca's De brevitate vitae instead of Virgil, Aeneid 4.

Teaching methods

Lectures in class, complemented by seminars (where students will interact with the teachers; individual research will be discussed and essays and tests corrected).

Assessment methods

The examination consists of a viva voce exam and is divided in two parts:

1) in the first part, the students will be tested on Latin phonetics, morphology, syntax and literature through the reading and translation of the Latin texts (in section III). Students are required to: scan the hexameter and the elegiac couplet, analyse its prosody; answer questions about Latin grammar (phonetics, morphology and syntax) from the texts in section III; answer questions about the main authors, genres and periods of Latin literature (from the list in section II).

2) in the second part (on section I), the examination will regard the Special Focus Course and the critical readings. Students are asked to provide a translation from Latin and a philological and literary commentary on one of the passages analysed in class. Students are required to discuss the chosen critical readings.

The assessment criteria is thus explained:
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 are mostly correct, but inaccurate and lacking in autonomy
excellent grades: language proficiency at an upper-mid level; translation and interpretation of the texts are not only correct, but carried out with autonomy and precision. Good knowledge of Latin prosody and metrics.

Teaching tools

Lectures are complemented by seminars on different aspects of Latin Literature (please see the course programme). Teaching materials will be distributed in class and uploaded online as well.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Citti

See the website of Ivano Dionigi

See the website of Bruna Pieri