Module CLAS40530: Latin Text Seminar

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS40530: Latin Text Seminar

Prerequisites

• Ability to read Latin independently, with appropriate supporting tools, to such a level as would be expected from a student who has studied Latin for at least one year as an undergraduate (or equivalent).

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• CLAS40330

Aims

• In accordance with the general aims of the MA in Classics, to promote independent reading and self-directed research in the study of a Latin text or texts for students who have received appropriate linguistic training in their previous studies.

Content

• The precise content changes yearly, depending on the text(s) studied, but typically students will be asked to prepare up to ca.100 lines of verse or 5 Oxford Classical Text pages of prose per fortnightly seminar, and also to read a selection of relevant scholarly literature each fortnight. By the end of the module, students may expect to have read the equivalent in terms of length of one book of epic in verse or one forensic speech in prose, and should also have read a substantial proportion of the relevant scholarly discussion of that work.

Learning Outcomes

• The module builds on the students' prior knowledge of Latin and it consists of the intensive study of a particular Latin text or closely related group of texts. Since the background of the students varies from year to year, the text or texts chosen will be decided at the start of each year, taking into account any texts already read by the group, the research interests of the instructor, and the availability of relevant secondary literature. By the end of the module, students should have acquired a familiarity with the linguistic, rhetorical, generic and literary aspects of the text or texts studied, along with a comprehensive understanding of the scholarly literature on the interpretation of the text(s).

• Students will develop the ability to discover, by means of independent research, the outlines of scholarly debate on a particular text or set of texts, and to participate in that debate by drawing on textual, linguistic and historical data to support their positions, and to learn how to present a cogent interpretation of a Latin text. Students will also learn how to evaluate and criticise competing interpretations of Latin texts.

• The analytical and interpretative skills required for the successful completion of this module are transferable to any field which demands the ability to evaluate widely disparate kinds of information, to weigh the merits of competing interpretations, and to formulate a cogent argument. Students should further develop their writing skills and be able to demonstrate good presentation skills. Students will be expected to acquire competency in the use of relevant bibliographical and digital tools and resources.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching will be by fortnightly seminar in which students will be expected to actively participate. Material that students prepare for the class may, with appropriate development, form the basis of written assignments.
• Formative assessment might be expected to consist of an essay and sample commentary on up to 50 lines of text. The essay should show awareness of relevant scholarly literature on the text and include a methodological statement on the student’s approach to commentary work.
• Summative assessment will be by one 5,000-word submission comprising: a short introductory essay on a key issue in the interpretation of the text being commented upon and a commentary on up to 100 lines of the text. Submissions should demonstrate the connection between close reading (as exemplified by the commentary) and overall discussions of key aspects of the chosen text(s) as explored in the essay).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

At least one formative exercise, allowing students to develop their skills in both essay and commentary writing.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University