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2021/2022

Latin Narrative Texts

Code: 104197 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503702 Ancient Studies FB 1 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Sebastià Giralt Soler
Email:
Sebastia.Giralt@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Ulisse Cecini
Francisco Carbajo Molina

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

This subject IS NOT an introduction to the Latin language, but is intended for students who have studied Latin in high school or who have an equivalent knowledge. In addition, the students must have well assimilated the basic contents of nominal and verbal morphosyntax, syntax of the cases and of the sentence and lexicon, which are part of the program of the subject Elements of Latin of the first semester. The student who has difficulty reaching such level could ask the teachers for support materials and help in tutoring sessions, but will have the responsibility to strive to get there.

Language

The student must have the willingness to follow classes taught in Catalan and use written material in that language (without excluding others), but they can use in their work or their participation Spanish (or another similar language if the case is given).

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject is the logical continuation of the subject "Elements of Latin" that most students have taken in the first semester of the first year. Having consolidated the basic grammatical and lexical knowledge in the aforementioned subject, it is time for the students to show that they really know them, through their recognition in texts of medium difficulty. It is also time to get started in philological commentary.

The students, at the end of the semester, must be able to:

• Apply techniques that allow a quick comprehension of the Latin text.

• Translate an approximate amount of 15 lines of a prose text in 1.30h with the help of the dictionary.

• Translate approximately 15 verses of a poetic text in 1.30h with the help of the dictionary.

• Understand the meaning of a Latin text of medium-low difficulty without the help of the dictionary.

• Explain grammatically a text in prose or verse starting from questions proposed by the teacher.

• Know the context, plot and characters of Petronius' Satyricon.

Competences

  • Apply grammatical knowledge acquired in the analysis and comprehension of Latin and Greek texts.
  • Be able to express oneself orally and in writing in the specific language of history, archaeology and philology, both in one’s own languages and a third language.
  • Interpret texts written in Latin and Greek to understand the history and Classical civilisations.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the morpho-syntactic components of a Greek and Latin text, identifying those that are internal to the narrative genre.
  2. Apply the techniques that help towards a rapid overall understanding of Greek and Latin texts.
  3. Explain the context of the literary works whose characters, topics and clichés were passed down to the following tradition.
  4. Explain the gist of a text without any need for a prior morpho-syntactic analysis or the use of a dictionary.
  5. Extract information from the Greek and Latin texts on aspects of realia especially related to their historical and cultural context.
  6. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  7. Translate fragments of the Latin works proposed.

Content

Contents

I. TEXTS

• Prose. Selection of texts by Petronius and other authors (slightly adapted if necessary).

• Poetry. Selection of Martial’s epigrams.

 

II. GRAMMAR

Nominal and verbal morphology.

• Periphrastic verbal forms.

• Gerund / gerundive forms.

Deepening in the syntax of the cases.

Syntax of the simple sentence.

• Use of the subjunctive in independent sentences.

• Direct interrogatives.

• Personal constructions of the infinitive.

Syntax of the complex sentence.

• Extension of substantive subordinates: quod; quin; indirect interrogatives.

• Adverbial subordinates.

III. PETRONIUS' SATYRICON

Reading Petronius' Satyricon.

Methodology

The teaching activities will be eminently practical. Teachers will dedicate their time to:

• Having the proposed selection of texts read, translated and commented.

• Providing the students with mechanisms that allow them to progressively increase the volume of translated text.

• Making the students read and understand texts at first sight.

• Correcting the texts translated each day individually by the students.

• Commenting on the linguistic content of translated texts.

• Explaining grammar contents.

• Working on the lexicon of the texts to help the student to learn it.

• Explaining literary, cultural, historical or social contents that help to contextualize the texts.

• Correcting and commenting on assigned morphosyntax and vocabulary activities.

The students will have the responsibility to prepare the text proposed for translation, morphosyntactic activities and the reading of the given day.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theorical exposition 5 0.2 1
Traanslation and philological commentary of prose and verse texts 50 2 1, 2, 4, 5, 7
Type: Autonomous      
Morphosynctactic activities 20 0.8 1
Personal translation 50 2 1, 2, 6, 7
Reading of Petronius' Satyricon 15 0.6 3
Self-study 10 0.4 1

Assessment

The evaluation of the students will be based on the collection of the following evidences:

• Accomplishment of morphosyntactic activities to show that they understand and know how to apply the contents explained in the classes.

• Basic morphology and syntax test.

• Control of the reading of Petronius’ Satyricon.

• Active participation in teaching activities. It will be especially valued that the students share their translation or their answers with the group/class

• Two tests consisting in comprehension and translation (with grammatical analysis) of texts not seen during the course (20% and 40%, respectively, of the final grade). In total the texts will add between 10 and 15 lines / verses.

If the teacher has two or more singular evidences (activities, control of attendance and / or tests), the student will not be able to receive qualification of non-evaluable. Thus, any student who has submitted two or more pieces of evidence will have a grade on the scale from failed up to MH, according to the percentages mentioned.

However, to be able to pass the course, the student must have made at least:

• All the translation tests of texts not seen during the course and have obtained a minimum grade of 4 as the proportional sum of the two (taking into account the value of each).

• The control of the reading of the Satyricon.

Thus, in the event that the sum of the weighting of the grades was 5 or more, but neither of the two requirements mentioned above were met to pass it, the student will have a grade of 4.5 (failed).

In the translation tests the grammatical appendix present in the dictionary cannot be used.

In the re-evaluation test, which will be scheduled by the Dean of the Faculty, only the corresponding translation tests and the basic morphology and syntax text can be re-evaluated, i.e. 70% of the final grade.

In order to be allowed to the re-evaluation test one must have done both translation tests. The only exception will be in case of force majeure, which must be certified by an official document.

The test schedule is as follows (unless it has to be changed for some reason of force majeure):

• Basic morphology test (nouns, adjectives, pronouns and conjugations): first half of March

• First translation test: second half of March

• Control of reading of Petronius’ Satyricon: end of April.

• Second translation test: early June.

In the event that the student is unable to attend a partial test or the final re-evaluation test on the set day, he / she will not have the opportunity to repeat the exam, unless the teacher deems it appropriate in view of the documentation accrediting the reason for the absence.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

In the event that tests or exams and the activities and participation in class cannot take place onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

The student will have the right to a revision of the tests and other activities of evaluation, that will happen in an individualized way with the professor in the date and schedule that this establishes and that will communicate to the students.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Activities of morphosyntaxis 10 0 0 1
Basic morphology and syntax test 10 0 0 1
Control of the reading of Petronius' Satyricon 10 0 0 6, 3
First translation test 20 0 0 1, 2, 6, 7
Participation in teaching activities 10 0 0 1, 2, 4, 5, 7
Second translation test 40 0 0 1, 2, 6, 7

Bibliography

Manuals of Latin grammar and syntax:

  • Lisardo Rubio - Tomás González, Nueva gramática latina, Madrid, Coloquio, 1990.
  • Eduard Valentí Fiol, Sintaxi llatina, Ed. Curial, Barcelona, 1979 [revisada per P. L. Cano].

Bilingual dictionaries:

  • Antoni Seva (dir.), Diccionari llatí-català, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2019.
  • Agustín Blánquez, Diccionario latino-español, Madrid, Gredos, 2017.
  • Félix Gaffiot, F., Grand Gaffiot. Dictionnaire latin-français, Hachette, 2000.
  • P. G. W. Glare, Oxford Latin Dictionary, Clarendon Press, 2012.

Literature dictionaries / manuals:

  • Ludwig Bieler, Historia de la literatura romana, Madrid, Gredos, 1971.
  • Carmen Codoñer (ed.), Historia de la Literatura Latina, Madrid, Cátedra, 1997.
  • Simon Hornblower- Antony Spawforth, The Oxford Classical Dictionary, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996.
  • Gian Biagio Conte, Latin literature. A history, Baltimore, Johs Hopkins University Press, 1999 / Letteratura latina, Milà, Mondadori, 2002.
  • M. C. Howatson, Diccionario de la literatura clásica, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 1991.

Translations of Petronius’ Satyricon:

Into Catalan:

  • Satiricó, traducció catalana d'Albert Berrio i Romà Giró, Columna, Barcelona 1988.
  • Satíricon, text llatí i traducció catalana de Sebastià Giralt, Adesiara, Barcelona, 2017.
  • El Satiricó i trenta fragments, traducció catalana de Josep M. Pallàs, Quaderns Crema, Barcelona 1988.

Into Spanish:

  • Satiricón, traducció castellana de Carmen Codoñer, Akal, Madrid 1996.
  • Satiricón, text llatí i traducció castellana de Manuel Díaz y Díaz, CSIC, Barcelona 1968-1969.
  • Satiricón, traducció castellana de Pedro Rodríguez, Alianza Editorial, Madrid 2003.
  • El Satiricón, traducció castellana de Lisardo Rubio, Gredos, Madrid 1978.

Historical context:

  • Tom Holland, Dinastía. La historia de los primeros emperadors de Roma, Ático de los libros, Barcelona-Madrid-México, 2017.
  • David Potter, Los emperadores de Roma, La Historia de la Roma imperial desde Julio César hasta el último emperador, Ediciones Pasado y Presente, Barcelona 2017.

Arachniography:

Online dictionaries:

Grammar, literature an activities:

Latin texts:

Perseus Collection. Greek and Roman Materials <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman >.

Software

No software needed.