Latin Authors : Late Antiquity

Teacher(s)

Kachuck Aaron;

Language

French
> English-friendly

Prerequisites

The course is intended for students who have followed the courses of ancient Latin at Bachelor level, or able to demonstrate a reading level considered sufficient by the lecturer.

Main themes

In-depth analysis of the works of Latin authors of late Antiquity.
The course deals with the following themes:
1. The translation of two major Latin literary works of late Antiquity;
2. The problem of establishing the text;
3. Systematic commentary presenting the context of the work, as well as the literary and human values contained therein.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	At the end of this course, the student will be capable to translate, analyse and comment on texts of an advanced level. He will be able to explain the historic and cultural context, to bring out the human values expressed therein, as well as to undertake a personal research as an extension of the course, which will be the subject of a written piece of work.

Content

The authors chosen for 2021–2022 are Claudian and Prudentius, respectively representing pagan and Christian innovations on the literary and religious heritage of classicism. Special attention will be given in seminar discussion to these authors’ use of Virgil and Ovid. After introductions that put the authors and their works into context, translation of a selection of these poets’ work will be accompanied by methodical commentary, literary analysis, and historical criticism. On the basis of readings of Latin texts and of contemporary scholarship, as well as of seminar discussions, in which seminar participants will play a leading role, students will also learn how to formulate and answer a scholarly question of their own devising in the form of a mini-memoire.

Teaching methods

The course consists of seminar discussions, led by the course leader as well as by seminar participants. It places the authors studied in their historical, literary and cultural context. It offers a commented reading of chosen extracts, and takes care to compare these readings with the remainder of the studied authors’ corpora, as well as with other authors and cultural domains in late antiquity and beyond.

Evaluation methods

The final marks are based on:
a) continual evaluation in the form of an in-class presentation of a passage, article, chapter, or book studied in the course, to be scheduled in the first week of the quadrimestre (20%),
b) continual evaluation in the form of translation and discussion of passages studied in course during the course of seminar discussions (5%),
c) a written test in the June session,  requiring translation of a passage or passages from Latin to French drawn from course-readings (15%) and the answering of grammatical questions on that passage or those passages (10%);
d) a mini-memoire concerning course material and answering a question  of the students’ own devising; the question can and should be discussed with the course-leader, and is in all events to be submitted to the course leader by email by the beginning of the eighth week of Q2 for approval, while the mini-memoire of approximately 10 single-spaced pages (in French or English) is to be submitted to the course leader by courriel on the first day of the session of June (45%);
e) an oral exam during the June session to discuss the mini-memoire (5%).

Other information

English-friendly course: course taught in French but offering facilities in English.

Online resources

Via the Moodle site of the course

Bibliography

Voir le site Moodle du cours.

Faculty or entity

EHAC