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Latin Historiography and Oratory

Code: 104200 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Ancient Studies OB 2
English and Classics Studies OB 2

Contact

Name:
Candida Ferrero Hernandez
Email:
candida.ferrero@uab.cat

Teachers

Gemma Puigvert Planaguma
Mònica Carnicé Silvestre

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

In order to approach the subject with guarantees of success, it is advisable to master Latin grammar and vocabulary at a level equivalent to that worked in the courses Elements de llengua llatina and Textos narratius llatins (it is a medium-high level).

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject is part of the Latin Philology Subject and seeks the following educational objectives:
  1. To apply the previous knowledge acquired in the subjects Elements of Latin Language and Latin Narrative Texts to the global understanding of a Latin text in prose.
  2. To understand the content of representative texts of the studied genres at their linguistic, philological and historical levels.
  3. To prepare a philological commentary on a prose text from the classical period.
  4. To answer adequately to various questions about the context of the studied works and authors.
  5. To relate the content of the texts, globally, with linguistic, literary and rhetorical aspects before and after the genres studied (Historiography and Oratory).
  6. To read the original version, to understand, comment on and translate a selection of representative texts of Roman Oratory and Historiography extracted from reference works and authors.
  7. To progressively acquire a wide vocabulary that helps translate texts without a dictionary.
  8. To relate these texts and authors with their sociopolitical and literary contexts.

Competences

    Ancient Studies
  • 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.
  • Make a commentary on a literary texts applying knowledge of genres, metrics and stylistics.
    English and Classics Studies
  • Apply the methodology of analysis and knowledge of genres, metrics and stylistics to comment on literary texts and analyse the culture and history of English-speaking countries and the ancient world.
  • Demonstrate grammatical knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages and its application to the analysis and comprehension of Greek and Latin texts.
  • Identify and interpret literary texts of different languages, analysing the generic, formal, thematic and cultural features according to concepts and methods of comparative literature and literary theory.
  • Interpret written texts in Latin and Greek to learn about classical history and civilizations.
  • Produce effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in distinct languages.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze the morphosyntactic components of a Latin text identifying those are specific of a literary genre or a particular linguistic variant.
  2. Explain the context of the literary works whose characters, topics and clichés were passed down to the following tradition.
  3. Explain the gist of a text without any need for a prior morpho-syntactic analysis or the use of a dictionary.
  4. Identify in the Latin texts the characteristics of a particular literary genre.
  5. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  6. Translate fragments of the Latin works proposed.
  7. Translate fragments of the proposed Latin works.
  8. Use rapid text-comprehension techniques based on the semantic resources provided by a knowledge of Catalan, Spanish and, where appropriate, other Romance languages.
  9. Use rapid text-comprehension techniques based on the semantic resources provided by the knowledge of Catalan, Spanish and, where necessary, other Romance languages.
  10. Write a morpho-syntactic commentary on a Latin text.
  11. Write a stylistic commentary on a Latin text.

Content

 

A. Historiography in Rome.

Gender characteristics.
Sallustius, Titus Livius.
Historical context.
Comprehensive reading, philological commentary and translation of a selection of texts representative of the authors and genres (Bellum Igurthinum by Sllustius; Ab urbe condita by Titus Livy)

B. The Oratory in Rome.

Rhetoric and oratory.
Gender characteristics.
Cicero.
Historical context.
Comprehensive reading, philological commentary and translation of a selection of texts representative of the author and genre (In Catilinam, Pro Milone).

C. Linguistic aspects that will arise in the subject

  1. Future participle.
  2. Past and future infinitive structures
  3. Personal infinitive construction
  4. Gerund and gerundive
  5. Periphrastic forms
  6. Indirect questions
  7. Double dative
  8. Dative complement of adjective
  9. Genitive of price, of quality, partitive, possessive
  10. Ablative of quality and complement of adjectives
  11. Consecutive sentences.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
READING AND COMPREHENSIVE TEXTS 30 1.2 1, 3, 6, 9
THEORETICAL-CRITIC EXPOSITIONS OF CONTENTS 24 0.96 1, 11, 3, 4, 6, 9
TUTORIALS 5 0.2 1, 2, 3, 9
Type: Supervised      
CORRECTIVE OF EXERCISES 12 0.48 1, 11, 2, 9
Type: Autonomous      
PERSONAL STUDY 30 1.2 1, 3, 6, 9
PREPARATION OF THE EXERCISES AND THE TRANSLATION OF THE PROPOSED TEXTS 30 1.2 1, 3, 6, 9
PREPARING FOR THE ORAL EXAM 4 0.16 1, 11, 5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9

  1. Latin paraphrase, written and oral, of the proposed texts, as a key to access the original one.
  2. Reading, comprehension, explanation, comment and translation of texts, previously prepared by the students with the help of the paraphrases, activities (virtual or not) proposed by the teacher and related to the lexicon and grammar.
  3. Work on the grammatical, lexical and semantic aspects contained in the texts.
  4. Contextualization of the texts in their work, author, genre and time, as well as the historical phenomena contained in them.
  5. Theoretical explanations on aspects related to genres, works and authors studied, as well as their time.
  6. Theoretical explanations on some advanced aspects of Latin grammar, and practical work based on specific activities.
  7. Commentary in class on oratorical and historiographic texts read in translation by the students, as well as on the bibliography eventually proposed by the teacher.

 

This subject allows the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies exclusively in bibliographic or information searches, text correction or translations, at the discretion of the teaching staff.

Students must (i) identify the parts that have been generated with AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity.

Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered academic dishonesty and will result in the activity being graded with a 0 and not being eligible for retake, or in more severe penalties in serious cases.

Gender perspective: will be taken into account both in the use of inclusive language and in the selection of the contents of the historiographical texts.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Active participation and on line exercices. 10% 1.5 0.06 1, 11, 10, 5, 2, 3, 8, 4, 7, 6, 9
Historiography: text, grammar, vocabulary and philological and historical aspects exam. 40% 6 0.24 1, 11, 10, 5, 2, 3, 8, 4, 6, 7, 9
Oral test 10% 1.5 0.06 1, 11, 10, 5, 2, 3, 8, 4, 6, 7, 9
Oratory: text, grammar, vocabulary and philological and historical aspects exam. 40% 6 0.24 1, 11, 10, 5, 2, 3, 8, 4, 6, 7, 9 


This subject does not incorporate single assessment.

The evaluation is continuous. The student will be evaluated based on the following parameters:

Historiography section

  1. Examination of the translation of a text, not previously studied, with answers to questions on morphosyntactic and lexical aspects, as well as philological and historical aspects. 25%. Date: 28 October
  2. Translation exam of a text, previously worked on in class, with resolution of morphosyntactic and lexical questions and philological and historical aspects. 15%. Date: 4 November

 

Oratory section

  1. Translation exam of a text, not previously studied, with resolution of morphosyntactic, lexical, and philological and historical questions. 25% Date: 19 December
  2. Translation exam of a text, previously studied in class, with resolution of morphosyntactic and lexical questions and philological and historical aspects. 15%. Date: 9 January

Oral exam: Philological commentary on a text proposed by the teacher. 10%. Date: 13 January.

Active participation and completion of virtual or classroom activities. 10%

 

 To pass the course, a minimum grade of 5 points must be accredited, which is obtained from the sum of the previous sections, as long as a minimum of 3,5 has been obtained in each section. In the event that this note is not reached, the student may take the recovery exam convened by the University. This exam will give the right to a maximum of 5 points (Approved).

On carrying out each evaluationactivity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a. review will take place.

Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 1/3 of the assessment items.

Plagiarism In the event that the student carries out any type of irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the rating of a certain evaluation act, this will be rated 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may arise from it. In the event that several irregularities are verified in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0. 


Bibliography

Latin Grammar

Bassols de Climent, Mariano, Sintaxis latina, Madrid, 1956 (2 vols.).

Panhuis, Dirk, Latin Grammar, Ann Arbor (Michigan), 2006. 

Historical Context                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Holland, Tom,  Rubicón: auge y caída de la república romana, Planeta, Barcelona 2007.

Historiography

Codoñer, Carmen, Evolución del concepto de historiografía en Roma, Bellaterra, 1986.

Codoñer, Carmen, Historia de la literatura latina, Madrid, 1997, pp. 257-260.

Dinter, Martin T. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Roman Historians, Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Marincola, John, (ed.), A Companion to Greek and Roman historiography, Oxford, 2007

Sallustius

Ed. Bellum Iugurthinum: 

Reynolds, Leighton D., C.Sallustius Crispi: Catilina; Iugurtha; Historiarum FragmentaSelecta; Appendix Sallustiana, Oxford, Oxford Classical Texts, 1991.

Trans: 

Gayo Salustio Crispo, Obras, trans. Juan Martos Fernández, Madrid, Ed. Cátedra, 2018. 

Conjuración de Catilina; Guerra de Jugurta; Fragmentos de las "Historias", trans. Bartolomé Segura, Madrid, Gredos, 1997.

Studies:

Codoñer, Carmen, Historia de la literatura latina, Madrid, 1997, pp. 280-291.

Tiffou, Etienne, Essai sur la pensée morale de Salluste à la lumière de ses prologues,París, 1974.

Albrecht, Michael von, Historia de la literatura romana, Barcelona, 1997, vol. 1, pp. 413-440.

Titus Livy

Ed. Ab Vrbe condita:

Ab Vrbe condita,Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1919-1974 (5 vols.).

Ab urbe condita, Teubner, 1966- (Lib.21-22).

Trans.

Història de Roma; introducció d'Antonio Fontán ; text revisat, traducció i notes d'Antoni Cobos, Barcelona, Fundació Bernat Metge, 2002.

Els Orígens de Roma : Ab urbe condita liber I; introducció, traducció i notes de Bàrbara Matas i Bellés,Barcelona : Edicions de la Magrana, 1999.

Historia de Roma desde su fundación, (Vol. 1, Lib. I-II) ed. y trad. Antonio Fontán, Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1997. 

Studies

Codoñer, Carmen, “Livio”, en Evolución del concepto de historiografía en Roma, Barcelona 1986 (Monografies Faventia 4) (pp.79-104). 

Fontán, Antonio, “Tito Livio: estado de la cuestión”, Minerva restituta1986, pp. 83-107.

Fontán, Antonio,“Tradición historiográfica y arte retórica en la obra de Tito Livio”, Faventia 5/2 (1983), pp. 5-22 

Jiménez Delgado, J., El latín de Tito Livio, Madrid 1961.

Labruna, Luigi, Tito Livio e le istituzioni giuridiche e politiche dei romani.Testi interpretati da Luigi Labruna, Napoli : Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, 1984. 

Mineo, Bernard, Tite-Live et l’histoire de Rome, Klincsieck, París, 2006,pp. 137-210.  

Riemann, Othon, Études sur la langue et la grammaire de Tite-Live, Hildesheim 1974. 

Oratory                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Alberte González, Antonio, Historia de la Retórica latina: evolución de los criterios estético-literarios desde Cicerón hasta Agustín, Amsterdam, 1992.

Cantó Llorca, Ma.José; Codoñer Merino, Carmen, Ramos Guerreira, Agustín, «Oratoria», en Codoñer, C.(ed), Géneros literarios latinos, Salamanca, 1987, pp. 216-222.

Steel, Catherine, Roman Oratory, Greece and Rome. New surveys in the Classics, n. 36, Cambridge 2006.

Cicero

Ed. In Catilinam Orationes IV:

Clark, Albertus Curtis, M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, vol.1, Oxford, Oxford Classical Texts, 1965.

Orberg, Hans, Sallustius et Cicero: Catilina, Hacket Publishing Company, Cardiff 2014.

Trans.

Les Catilinàries, trad. Joan Carbonell, Barcelona, Edicions de la Magrana, 1997. 

Las Catilinarias, trad. Antonio Ramírez de Verger, Madrid, Ed. Cátedra, 2013. 

Ed. Pro Milone: 

Cicero. Orationes, vol.II: Pro Milone/Pro Marcello/Pro Ligario/Pro Rege Deiotaro/Philippicae I - XIV. (Albertus Curtis Clark, Ed.). (Col. Oxford Classical Texts). Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1991.

Cicero. Pro Milone (Thomas J. Keeline Ed.), (Col. Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics). Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Cicéron. Discours. Tome XVII. André Boulanger (trad.). Paris: Société d’Édition, “Les Belles Lettres”, 1967.

Trans.: 

Cicerón. Discursos IV (Nueva Biblioteca Clásica Gredos nº 40), Tr. José Miguel Baños Baños. Barcelona: RBA-GREDOS, 2022.

Cicéron. Discours. Tome XVII. André Boulanger (trad.). Paris: Société d’Édition, “Les Belles Lettres”, 1967.

Studies

Alberte González, Antonio, Cicerón ante la retórica: la Auctoritas platónica en los criterios retóricos de Cicerón, Valladolid, 1987.

Corbeill, Anthony, «Cicero and the intellectual milieu of the late Republic», The Cambridge Companion to Cicero, Cambridge,2013, pp. 9-24.

Dugan, John, «Cicero’s rethorical theory», The Cambridge Companion to Cicero, Cambridge, 2013, pp. 25-40.

Fedeli, Paolo, “Estrategias retóricas en el pro Milone de Cicerón”, Auster1999, nº 4, pp. 95-109

Galli, Lucia, “La struttura dell’argumentum orationis pro Milone di Asconio Pediano”, Hermes (Wiesbaden), 2023, Vol.151 (2), pp.192-209

Steel, Catherine, «Cicero, oratory and public life», The Cambridge Companion to Cicero, Cambridge, 2013, pp. 160-170.

Vasaly, Ann, «The political impact of Cicero’s speeches», The Cambridge Companion to Cicero, Cambridge, 2013, pp. 141-159. 

 

 


Software

Office package

Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed