Syllabus: Latin 200

Prof. Edith Foster
Kauke 202
e-mail: efoster@wooster.edu
phone: (330) 263-2352

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday from 1:00 to 1:45, or by appointment. I recommend that you make an appointment or call before you come in.

Class Meetings: Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Thursdays 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Kauke 244 .

Required Texts:
Latin Grammar, by James Morwood
Vergil Aeneid 1-6, H.D. Williams, ed.
Aeneid, R. Johnson, Translator
A good Latin dictionary.

Course Goals:

Latin 200 has ambitious course aims. We will attempt to give you a relatively thorough review of Latin grammar and morphology, and at the same time we will read as much as we can of one of the greatest poems of all time …Remember last year’s Latin Day: Vergilius optimus poetarum omnium…

In order to achieve these ends the course will be divided into two parts: Grammar and Poetry.

Grammar

As you can see, there are grammar assignments every class for the first month, and after the first month there are two assignments a week. The first month’s assignments will cover morphology (forms) and all subsequent assignments will cover syntax (how sentences work).

Student Grammar instructors:
Students will be the instructors for this part of the course: you’ve all done this before, now is the time to teach others what you know! Each presenter will teach for about 5 minutes. S/he will introduce a grammatical principle or topic, and/or teach some forms. S/he will then explain, with examples, the homework to be done, and assign the homework. Since you have only five minutes, you will not be able to teach the textbook. Rather, your job will be to explain how we should study the textbook and learn the material. This will require you to have studied your portion of the textbook before you come in, and to have thought about how you would recommend that others learn this material.

Grammar Homework
Since your students (yes, they’re yours!) will be reading and learning the assigned portion of the textbook, homework assignments (which you should test on yourself previously to assigning them!) must not exceed 10-15 minutes completion time.

You will have lots of leeway to decide on the form of particular assignments. You can look in your old textbooks, you can look on the internet, or you can make stuff up. The object is to assign something that will help you and other students review this particular bit of Latin.

Student Respondents
In the class period following the one in which you teach the respondent will, as best he or she is able, give the answers to the homework assigned the previous day. Students will respond to these answers, making polite suggestions, correct their own homework, if necessary, and then everyone will hand in their homework. Each response period will be 5-7 minutes long. Thus, about the first 15 minutes of many classes will be devoted to grammar.

• I will not grade homework, but merely record that it has been handed in, unless I see that the homework is incomplete, carelessly completed, or illegible in which case it counts as a missing assignment.
• Missed assignments due to missed classes must be made up and handed in.
• All Assignments must be clearly marked with your name and the date upon which the homework was assigned.
• Needless to say, Prof. McGowan and I will both be available to answer any questions you may have. However, the success of any review depends on your effort and thoroughness.

“No respondent” days
Sometimes a grammar lesson will be taught but there will be no respondent. This is usually because of a quiz. In these cases some questions on the quiz will address the relevant grammar lesson.

Frequency of grammar teaching
I expect that each of you will have about four chances to teach and four chances to be the main respondent to a homework assignment. In order to discover your days to teach and respond consult the attached list.

Missed Teaching and/or Respondent Sessions
If you get sick and can’t attend a session at which you are scheduled to teach or respond, it is your job to contact me as early as possible.

Poetry: The Aeneid

In the main part of the course we will read excerpts from books 1, 2, 4, and 6 of the Aeneid. As you can see, assignments are relatively short, starting out very short (10-15 lines) and rarely reaching to 20 lines at any time. You are expected to come to class prepared to translate and discuss each and every assignment. We’ll translate and discuss every word in class: by the end of the course you should have a good grasp of Vergil’s language.

Remark on the textbooks: The end of this course, and not the beginning of this course, is when you should go out and buy Pharr’s Aeneid. This book is a tremendous help if you are reading Vergil on your own, and a tremendous detriment to your Latin if you are not, since it translates and explains everything on the same page as the Latin, so that you don’t need to learn any vocabulary or grammar. Reading Vergil with Pharr is lots of fun: it goes really fast, and you get the beauty of the Latin without the strain of doing all the leg work for yourself. I strongly encourage you to read Pharr (or any of the many other such editions) at Christmastime. Pharr is even more fun if you are reviewing, since reading will go even faster. In the meantime, you will learn much more Latin by reading Vergil. Your text contains many helpful notes, and we will translate all assignments word for word.

This being said, I have ordered you a reliable translation, which you may read whenever you have the time.

Grading Summary:
Grammar teaching: 25%
Quizzes: 25%
Exams: midterm and final exams 30%
Class participation (coming prepared to translate and discuss homework) 20%

The Final Exam is 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Dec.12.

Academic Honesty
The Department of Classics has the highest expectations in regard to academic honesty. No dishonesty of any kind will be tolerated. Thus, while we expect and encourage you to collaborate with other people when you do your homework, all of the answers to all of the questions must be your own. If you are copying answers from other people’s homework, this fact will quickly emerge from the results of quizzes and in class translation exercises, so don’t do it! Any incidence of cheating on a quiz or exam will be taken extremely seriously, and may result in expulsion from the course.

Learning Disabilities
Any student with a documented learning disability is requested to speak with Pam Rose, Director of the Learning Center (ext. 2595), and with the instructor, as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential.

The Syllabus

Week 1

Aug 28: The Syllabus, the Textbooks, and Vergil. Grammar 1: Nominative, Genitive, and Dative cases: pages 7-12.

Assignment: Grammar Homework and Aeneid 1.1-11.

Aug 30: respondent 1/grammar 2: Accusative, Ablative, and Vocative cases: pages 12-15.
Vergil: Aeneid 1.1-11.
Assignment: GH and 1.12-22.

Sept 1: respondent 2/ grammar 3: Morphology of the Noun: page 16
Vergil: 1. 12-22.
Assignment: GH and 1.23-34.

Week 2

Sept 4: respondent 3/ grammar 4: Morphology of the Noun: page 17
Vergil: 1.23-34.
Assignment: GH and 1.88-101.

Sept 6: respondent 4/grammar 5: Comparison of Adjectives/ Adverbs: pages 21-24, or special request.
Vergil: 1.88-101.
Assignment: GH and 1.147-156 and 1.198-207.

Sept 8: no respondent. Quiz 1. For the first 20 minutes of the class we will read Vergil; the last half hour will be a quiz on grammar and poetry.
Vergil: 1.147-156 and 1.198-207.
Assignment: 1.271-283

Week 3

Sept 11: grammar 6: Morphology of the verb: Active Voice. Pages 36-39: First and second conjugation, active voice.
Vergil: 1.271-283.
Assignment: GH and 1. 419-435

Sept 13: respondent 6/grammar 7: Pages 40-45. Third and fourth conjugation, active voice
Vergil: 1. 419-435.
Assignment: GH and 1. 436-449

Sept 15: respondent 7.
Vergil: 1. 436-449.
Assignment: 1.450-465

Week 4

Sept 18: grammar 8: Morphology of the Verb: Passive Voice. Pages 46-49: First and second conjugation passive.
Vergil: 1.450-465.
Assignment: GH and 1. 471-489

Sept 20: respondent 8/grammar 9: Pages 50-55: Third and fourth conjugation passive
Vergil: 1. 471-489.
Assignment: GH and 1.683-694

Sept 22: no respondent. Quiz 2. For the first 20 minutes of the class we will read Vergil; the last half hour will be a quiz on grammar and poetry.
Vergil: 1.683-694
Assignment: 2 .39-56.

Week 5

Sept 25: grammar 10: Syntax: Relative Clauses: Pages 69-70
Vergil: 2.39-56.
Assignment: GH and 2.199-215.

Sept 27: respondent 10/grammar 11: Participles: Pages 76-81.
Vergil: 2.199-215.
Assignment: GH and 2. 216-233.

Sept 29: respondent 11
Vergil: 2. 216-233.
Assignment: 2. 234-249.

Week 6

Oct 2: grammar 12: Indirect Statement: Pages 83-85.
Vergil: 2. 234-249.
Assignment: GH and 2. 355-369.

Oct 4: respondent 12/grammar 13: Sequence of tenses: Pages 86-87.
Vergil: 2. 355-369.
Assignment: GH and 2. 506-525.

Oct 6: no respondent. Quiz 3. For the first 20 minutes of the class we will read Vergil; the last half hour will be a quiz on grammar and poetry.
Vergil: 2. 506-525.
Assignment: 2. 533-46.

Week 7

Oct. 9: grammar 14: Direct and Indirect command: Pages 88-91.
Vergil: 2. 533-46.
Assignment: GH and 2.547-653.

Oct 11: Respondent 14
Vergil: 2. 547-653.
No assignment.

Oct 13: Midterm Exam.

Week 8

Oct 16: Break!

Oct 18: Grammar 15: Direct and Indirect Questions: Pages 92-95
Remarks on book four of the Aeneid.
Assignment: GH and 4. 9-30

Oct 20: respondent 15
Vergil: 4.9-30.
Assignment: 4.305-319

Week 9

Oct 23: grammar 16: Purpose Clauses: Pages 96-98
Vergil: 4.305-319.
Assignment: GH and 4.320-336.

Oct 25: respondent 16/grammar 17: Result Clauses: Pages 99-101
Vergil: 4.320-336.
Assignment: GH and 4.337-347

Oct 27: no respondent. Quiz 4. (Last half hour of class.)
Vergil: 4.337-347.
Assignment: 4.348-361.

OCC Conference Oct.28-29.

Week 10

Oct 30: grammar 18: Fear Clauses: Pages 102-103
Vergil: 4.348-361.
Assignment: GH and 4.621-631

Nov 1: respondent 18/grammar 19: Impersonal Verbs: Pages 104-107
Vergil: 4.621-631.
Assignment: GH and 4. 632-647

Nov 3: respondent 19
Vergil: 4.632-647.
Assignment: 4.648-662

Week 11

Nov 6: grammar 20: Gerunds and Gerundives: Pages 108-113
Vergil: 4.648-662.
Assignment: GH and 4.663-674.

Nov 8: respondent 20/grammar 21: Conditional Sentences: Pages 114-117
Vergil: 4. 663-674.
Assignment: GH and 4.675-689

Nov 10: respondent 21

Assignment: 4.690-705.

Week 12

Nov 13: No grammar. Introduction to book 6.
Vergil: 4.690-705.
Assignment: 6.265-280.

Nov 15: grammar 22: Time clauses: Pages 118-121
Vergil: 6.265-280.
Assignment: GH and 6.281-295.

Nov 17: respondent 22/grammar 23: Cum clauses Pages 122-123
Vergil: 6.281-295.
Assignment: GH and 6.704-718.

Week 13

Nov 20: no respondent. Quiz 5. (Last half of Class.)

No Assignment

Break!

Dr. Foster’s rules for a good holiday: 1) Buy a New Yorker or Atlantic Magazine, and read more than the cartoons. 2) No television if you aren’t on a treadmill. If you are on a treadmill, you are allowed to watch until you drop. 3) Buy an organic squash or something, and do some cooking. An experienced cook always has a social advantage.

Week 14

Nov 27: Grammar 24: Dum clauses: Pages 124-125
Discussion of meter and scansion.
Assignment: 6.719-734.

Nov 29: Respondent 24/Grammar 25: because, although, as if clauses: Pages 126-129
Vergil: 6.719-734.
Assignment: GH and 6.735-751.

Dec 1: respondent 25
Vergil: 6.735-751.
Assignment: 6.788-806

Week 15

Dec 4: grammar 26: quin clauses: Pages 130-132
Vergil: 6.788-806.
Assignment: 6.836-853.

Dec 6: respondent 26
Vergil: 6.836-853.
Assignment: 6. 887-902.

Dec 8: no grammar
Vergil: 6.887-902.
No assignment.

Week 16

The Final Exam is on Tuesday December 12th at 7:00 PM.