An introduction to Latin language, literature, and culture. Emphasis on the grammatical structures and vocabulary which will enable the student to read Latin texts with understanding and facility.
For the student who wishes to increase the facility and accuracy with which he/she reads classical Latin. The class will consist of review of grammar and readings which focus on the daily lives of Romans of the first centuries B.C. and A.D. Readings will be drawn from the prose letters of Cicero and Pliny, and the poetry of Catullus, Horace, and Martial.
The class will read selections from the poetry of the Golden Period of Latin literature. Readings will be drawn primarily from the epics of Lucretius and Vergil, and will focus on the themes of creation and foundations.
Extensive reading from major authors drawn from the following categories: Roman drama, epic, historians, oratory, philosophy, satire, and elegiac, lyric, and pastoral poetry. Readings will change each semester in accordance with the interests of the students.