Selected Letters of Pliny the Younger (LAT411)
Julius Caesar’s Gallic War (LAT413)
2 CU, 1st semester, Latin 3 is a prerequisite, with permission of Mr. Pratt. This course will next be offered in 2021-22
2 CU, 1st semester, Latin 3 is a prerequisite, with permission of Mr. Pratt. This course will next be offered in 2022-23
Students will translate from Books I-VI of Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Sections of the Latin not translated will be read in English. Literal but polished verbal and written translation will be emphasized. Students will examine the syntax, rhetorical devices, and style of Caesar’s prose with a view toward a comprehensive literary and historical analysis. Course work will include two critical essays and a presentation. Students planning on taking the AP Latin exam in May should also take Advanced Latin in the spring and may be required to complete additional work beyond the course requirements.
In this advanced elective, students will translate and analyze selected letters of Pliny the Younger (AD 62-113) whose work belongs to the Silver Age of Latin literature. Pliny’s correspondence chronicles the fashionable, intellectual and civil life of his day, and deals with a wide variety of subjects, including the description of a Roman villa, a dinner party, the acquisition of a piece of statuary, Pliny’s love for his young wife, ghost stories, floating islands, and other marvels. By far, the best known and most important are two letters describing the famous eruption of Vesuvius, in which his uncle perished, and a letter to the emperor Trajan on his attempts to suppress Christianity. In addition to tests and quizzes, students will be expected to present two reports commenting on aspects of the letters.
Vergil’s Aeneid (LAT414)
2 CU, 2nd semester, Latin 3 is a prerequisite, with permission of Mr. Pratt. This course will next be offered in 2021-22 Students will translate from Books I-VI of Vergil’s Aeneid. Sections of the Latin not translated will be read in English. Literal but polished verbal and written translation will be emphasized. Students will examine the syntax, rhetorical devices, meter, and style of Vergil’s poetry with a view toward a comprehensive literary analysis. Course work will include two critical essays and a presentation. Students taking the AP Latin exam in May should also have taken Advanced Latin first semester and may be required to complete additional work beyond the course requirements.
Ovid’s Metamorphoses (LAT 415)
2 CU, 2nd semester, Latin 3 is a prerequisite, with permission of Mr. Silva Students will translate selected readings from the Metamorphoses. A literal but polished verbal and written translation will be emphasized. Students will examine the syntax, rhetorical devices, meter, and style of Ovid’s poetry with a view toward a comprehensive literary analysis. Students will also consider how the myths told by Ovid symbolize the human condition. In addition, students will analyze Ovid’s influence on Western culture, with special attention to art and literature. As an enhancement to their learning, students will present a report in the form of an extended commentary of a literary, archaeological, or historical aspect of the text.
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