Università Roma Tre

The course ‘Latin: language and literature’ is aimed at giving a thorough and no-anthological knowledge of some important Latin authors and literary works, read in original and explicated as regards both the language and the contents. It consists of:

(1) A number of lectures about the so-called ‘Literary Space’ of ancient Rome, minded in particular (a) to the links between literature and politics (and between men of letters and society), (b) to tipology and development of the literary genres in Rome, (c) to the range of different levels and functions of the latin written texts. Problems of preservation and transmission of the corpus of the latin classics will be envisaged also, even as regards their medieval and modern heritage.

(2) Some lectures about main features of latin language.

(3) Setting, reading, italian translation and commentary of:

- (a) Petronius, The Dinner of Trimalchio (= Satyricon, ch. 26, 7 – 78)
- (b) Svetonius, The Life of Emperor Claudius (= Vitae Caesarum, V)
- (c) Virgil, Aeneid, book VIII.

Students whitout even a basic knowledge of Latin are warmly advised to attend previously the ‘Latino di Base’ Course.

As for (1):

- G.B. Conte, Letteratura latina, Firenze (ed. Le Monnier), parts I-IV.
- E. Norden, La letteratura romana, Bari (Laterza), only the appendix titled "Le fonti antiche" (available in the "Bacheca on line" of Professor De Nonno).
- further tutorials (handouts, and so on) will be given in the case in the course of the lectures.

As for (2):

- R. Oniga, Latin. A Linguistic Introduction, Edited & Translated by N. Schifano (Oxford University Press).

As for (3):

- Petronio Arbitro, Satyricon. Introduzione, traduzione e note di A. Aragosti, Milano (Ed. Rizzoli) or La cena di Trimalchione: dal ‘Satyricon’ di Petronio, a cura di G. F. Gianotti, Acireale-Roma (Ed. Bonanno).
- Svetonio, L’imperatore Claudio (Vite dei Cesari, Libro V), a cura di G. Guastella, Venezia (Ed. Marsilio).
- Publio Virgilio Marone, Eneide, Traduzione a cura di A. Fo. Note di F. Giannotti, Torino (Einaudi). [In order to prepare Aeneid book VIII even a good school commentary could be used e. g. the old one by R. Sabbadini-C. Marchesi (ed. Loescher)].
- further bibliography about the texts in the syllabus will be given in the case at the beginning of the course.

Description of the course: The course of "Latin Language and literature" is meant for the students who aim to acquire a sound basic knowledge of the themes and forms of the Latin Language, grounded on adequate linguistic abilities and, consequently, on the direct reading of some of the most significant textes of the literary production of the classical ages.
To this end it includes:
1. A cycle of lessons meanto to offer a complete framework of the authors and the trends of the "literary space" in the ancient Rome, with special attention to the realtionship with the political and institutional history, to the typologies of the literary genres and to their develpment, to the nexus between the intellectuals and society, to the process of differentiation of the various levels and forms of the Latin written production. Special attention will be paid to the question of constituion and tradition of the corpus of survived textes, in reference to their medieval and modern fortune.

2. A framework of the main features of the Latin Language, with specific reference to the general structure of Latin and to the forms of the literary language.

3. Contextualization, reading, translation and comment of the follong work of the Latin literature:

- (a) Petronius: Cena Trimalchionis (= Satyricon, cc. 26, 7 – 78).
- (b) Suetonius, Live of the Emperor Claudius (= Vitae Caesarum, V).
- (c) Vergil, Aeneis, book VIII.

Possible propedeutics: none. The students who have not studied Latin at the High school are invited to attend the preparatory course of "Basic Latin".

Point 1:

- G.B. Conte, Letteratura latina, Firenze (ed. Le Monnier), chapp. I-IV
- E. Norden, La letteratura romana, Bari (Laterza), (Le fonti antiche), available on line.
- further material is available on teacher's web personal page.

Point 2:

- R. Oniga, Il latino: breve introduzione linguistica, seconda edizione, Milano (ed. Franco Angeli).

Point 3:

- Petronio Arbitro, Satyricon. Introduzione, traduzione e note di A. Aragosti, Milano (Ed. Rizzoli) o La cena di Trimalchione: dal ‘Satyricon’ di Petronio, a cura di G. F. Gianotti, Acireale-Roma (Ed. Bonanno).
- Svetonio, L’imperatore Claudio (Vite dei Cesari, Libro V), a cura di G. Guastella, Venezia (Ed. Marsilio).
- Publio Virgilio Marone, Eneide, Traduzione a cura di A. Fo. Note di F. Giannotti, Torino (Einaudi). [Per la preparazione dell’VIII dell’Eneide si può adoperare anche un buon commento scolastico, ad esempio quello a cura di R. Sabbadini-C. Marchesi (ed. Loescher)].
- further material is available on teacher's web personal page