Insegnamento
LATIN LITERATURE
Docente
GIORGIO PIRAS
After the course, students are expected to acquire an overall knowledge of ancient Latin Literature, of its main authors and respective works, being able to frame them within their historical and socio-cultural background.
The objective of the course is to provide an overall understanding of Latin literature and of main Roman authors, as well as the basic necessary tools to prompt further critical reflections. The first part will deliver information on the socio-political context and the fundamental models that favoured the composition of the first literary works in Rome, as well as discuss the main methodologies for the study of the subject. After this brief introductory section, the course will analyse the development of Latin literature from a chronological point of view, illustrating the most preeminent authors and their works as well as exploring the most representative genres. This second part is coherently organised in different sections, highlighting the main chronological phases and their most significant representatives.
Part 1. Context, Models and Methodologies (Lectures 1-3)
An introduction to Latin Literature
Topics addressed:
1. Oral and written communication in ancient Rome
2. Greece reference models’ impact on Latin Literature: imitation and original creation
3. Transmission and loss of Latin Literature
Part 2. Latin literature: a chronological overview (Lectures 4-33)
The archaic age
4. Ennius and the development of Latin poetry
5. Cato the Elder and the birth of Latin literary prose
6. An introduction to Roman Theatre
7. The Latin Comic Theatre: Plautus
8. The Latin Comic Theatre: Terence
9. The foundation of a new ‘Roman’ lieterary genre: Lucilius and the Satire
The Late Republic
Topics addressed:
10. Cicero: life and works, Roman Oratory
11. Cicero: Analysis of In Verrem, In Catilinam, De Re Publica
12. Cicero: Philosophical and religious works
13. Caesar: life and works, military-political propaganda
14. Caesar: De bello gallico (first part)
15. Caesar: De bello gallico (second part)
16. Caesar: De bello civile
17. A new form of ‘intimate’ literature: Catull and neoteric poetry
18. Catullus: Analysis of the poems
19. The birth of a ‘philosophical’ poetry: Lucretius
20. Lucretius: De rerum natura (first part)
21. Lucretius : De rerum natura (second part)
22. New developments in Historiography: Sallust
23. Sallust: Analysis of de Catilinae coniuratione
The Augustan age
Topics addressed:
24. Virgil and alexandrinian poetry: the Eclogues and the Georgics
25. Virgil and epic poetry: the Aeneid
26. Roman Elegy: Tibull and Propertius
27. A poet between classicism and mannerism: Ovid
28. A return to annalistic historiography: Livy
29. The Roman Satire: Horace, Perseus, Juvenal
30. Horace and lyric poetry: the Odes
The Imperial age
Topics addressed:
31. Roman Stoicism: Seneca
32. Seneca: Analysis of De brevitate vitae and Epistualae ad Lucilium
33. Latest developments in Historiography: Tacitus
Gian Biagio Conte, Latin Literature. A history (any edition).
The didactic program foresees a series of lectures, that gradually introduces the student to the discovery of Latin Literature, particularly by examining the most emblematic works and relevant authors.
The teaching activity is developed through the combination of video lectures, individual study, and interactive activities (preparation of a short essay by the students, which will be then revised by the professor and the tutor).
The course is developed through:
35 hours of frontal teaching:
- 33 video lectures (the professor presents the course contents, in a way similar to classroom frontal teaching, supported by slides);
6 hours of interactive teaching:
- preparation of a short essay by the student that will be revised by the professor.
For the learning of the discipline, video-lectures, slides and other teaching materials are available to students on the page of the course.
Professor and tutor will assist the students during the entire academic year through e-mail correspondence and, at the student's request, video-reception (dates and times to be agreed in advance with the professor and the tutor).
Self-assessment tools are provided (quiz).
The evaluation will consist in an oral exam (questions concerning general and specific topics addressed during the lessons; discussion on authors and works analysed in the lessons; knowledge of the reference socio-cultural environment).
Students are strongly encouraged to prepare a short essay, that will be discussed during the exam (please refer to the Guidelines published on the web-page of the course in the section “Interactive teaching-Short essay Latin literature”) and if positively evaluated will increase the final mark of the exam.
The acquired knowledge and competencies will allow the graduates to be employed as professional experts in a wide range of potential institutions, such as those connected to education, research, cultural heritage management, protection and valorisation, e.g. museums; public administrations; academic entities; organisations working in the field of literature, translation, publishing and editing, inter-cultural activities etc.