Latin 4 upper: module 3
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Course Code: RL315
Please choose a course date
Duration: 11 sessions (over 12 weeks)
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What is the course about?
This course aims to improve advanced students’ fluency in reading and translating un-adapted Latin prose and poetry. The students will follow Caesar’s account of the end of the civil war and the battle of Pharsalus (as told in his “De bello civili”) and will enjoy the distinctive voices of four Roman poets: Lucretius, Virgil, Horace and Ovid.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
We shall be reading un-adapted Latin poetry and prose as presented in the volume “Reading Latin: Text and Vocabulary”, starting from section 6C and aiming to reach the end of section of 6D.
As we alternate between Caesar’s prose (as exemplified in his “De bello civili”) and the poetic voices of Lucretius, Virgil, Horace and Ovid, we shall continue with our discussion on the rhetorical features of Latin prose and poetry, as well as with our study of Latin meters (hexameters, Archilochians and elegiac couplets).
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Appreciate the rhetorical features of Caesar’s prose as exemplified in his “De bello civili”, and have some insight into the socio-historical background to this work;
- Appreciate the distinctive poetic voices of Lucretius, Virgil, Horace and Ovid, and have some insight into the socio-historical background of each author;
- Show increased familiarity with Latin meters (especially hexameters, Archilochians and elegiac couplets).
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a course for those who have already completed “Latin 4 upper: Module 2”, or who have equivalent experience. As this course is taught in English, you should be able to follow verbal and written instructions in English and take part in group discussions on readings.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course is based on a traditional teaching approach, yet it aims also at a high level of student interaction with some pair and group work. Please note that students are expected to participate in oral classroom activities and to do 1-2 hours homework per week.
Please be aware that the teacher will use Google Classroom, and you are expected to regularly check the course’s page to find additional notes, updates about the progress of the class, homework, etc.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Textbook: Reading Latin, 2nd edition (NEW edition), by Peter Jones & Keith Sidwell (CUP) Vol 1: ‘Grammar and Exercises’ (ISBN 9781107632264) and Vol 2: ‘Text and Vocabulary’ (ISBN 9781107618701).
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Latin 5 in September.
Dr Nikoletta Manioti teaches Classical Greek and Latin. Originally from Thessaloniki, Greece, she has a PhD in Classics from the University of Durham. Before coming to City Lit she held academic positions at the University of St Andrews (2012-17 and 2018-2021), at King's College London (2017-18), and at Birkbeck, University of London (2017-18). She is interested in all aspects of the ancient world, but her research focuses on the family and the representation of space in literature. She is currently writing a book on sisters in 1st century BC Rome. Nikoletta loves teaching in general, and Greek and Latin in particular. She loves learning languages too: she is fluent in Italian; reads French, German, and Spanish; and knows the basics of Portuguese and Swedish.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
