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The Aeneid

Code: 104201 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Ancient Studies OB 2
English and Classics Studies OB 2

Contact

Name:
Joan Carbonell Manils
Email:
joan.carbonell@uab.cat

Teachers

Gerard Gonzalez Germain

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

 NOTICE: This guide has been translated into English from Catalan and may contain translation mistakes. If in doubt, the original Catalan version prevails.

The linguistic knowledge learnt in the first-year subjects "Elements de Llengua Llatina" and "Textos Narratius Llatins" and in second-year subject "Historiografia i Oratòria Llatines" are taken for granted, and will not be explained again.

To attend this subject it is highly recommended to have passed "Elements de Llengua Llatina" i "Textos Narratius Llatins".

Language

Students must be willing to follow classes taught in Catalan and use written material in this language, but they can use in their work or their participation Spanish (or another close language).


Objectives and Contextualisation

After taking the course, students will be able to:

  • Apply quick comprehension techniques of a Latin text with the help of the dictionary.     
  • Understand a Latin text without using the dictionary.     
  • Translate a text of Aeneid up to 15-18 verses in a 1.30h.
  • Resolve grammatical, metric and stylistic issues related to a fragment of the Aeneid.
  • Resolve issues about the structure and argument of the Aeneid.
  • Associate the content of Aeneid with aspects of its subsequent tradition.
 
 
 

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.
  • Interrelate linguistic, historical and archaeological knowledge of the ancient world with knowledge of other areas of the humanities, mainly ancient literature, philosophy and art.
  • 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.
  • Develop arguments applicable to the fields of literature, culture and linguistics and evaluate their academic relevance.
  • 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.
  • Interrelate linguistic and historical knowledge of the ancient world with knowledge of other fields of the humanities, mainly literature and archaeology.
  • 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. Develop holistic commentaries on a particular aspect of the Roman world based on a reading of the Latin texts proposed.
  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. Identify in the Latin texts the characteristics of a particular literary genre.
  6. Make “holistic” comments on a certain aspect of the Roman world by reading the proposed Latin texts.
  7. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  8. Recognise the themes and clichés contained in the Latin works being studied in the European literary and artistic traditions.
  9. Recognise the themes and topics emanating from the Greek works studied in the European literary and artistic traditions.
  10. Translate fragments of the Latin works proposed.
  11. Translate fragments of the proposed Latin works.
  12. Use rapid text-comprehension techniques based on the semantic resources provided by a knowledge of Catalan, Spanish and, where appropriate, other Romance languages.
  13. Use rapid text-comprehension techniques based on the semantic resources provided by the knowledge of Catalan, Spanish and, where necessary, other Romance languages.
  14. Write a metric commentary on a Latin text in verse.
  15. Write a stylistic commentary on a Latin text.

Content

I. Introduction to Vergil and the Aeneid

  1. Latin literature in August's time. Historical, politic & social context.
  2. Virgil. The man & the poet.
  3. The Aeneid, the epic poem of Rome.
  • Objectives of the play.
  • Structure of the play.
  • The protagonist. Aeneas.
  • Dido, character of the tragedy.
  • The secondary male characters. Turnus, Mezentius, Nisus and Euryale, Latinus, Evander.
  • The secondary female characters: Amata, Camilla, Juturna, Venus, Juno.

 4. Reception and Tradition of the Aeneid.

II. Passages to be translated and discussed

  • Aen. 1, 1-33. First invocation to the Muse.
  • Aen. 2, 1-13. Aeneas begins the story of the destruction of Troy.
  • Aen. 2, 199-245. Prodigy against Laocoon. Entry of the horse into the city.
  • Aen. 4, 1-30. Dido in love.
  • Aen. 4, 160-172. Meeting of Dido and Aeneas in the cave.
  • Aen. 4, 296-360. Aeneas decides to abandon Carthage. Anger and impotence of Dido.
  • Aen. 6, 268-273. Entrance to Hades.
  • Aen. 6, 294-304. The Acheron. Charon
  • Aen. 6, 847-853. Mission of the Romans.
  • Aen. 6, 860-886. Marcellus.
  • Aen.8, 608-616. Venus gives the shield to Aeneas.
  • Aen. 9, 473-502. Euríal's mother learns of his death.
  • Aen. 11, 799-835. Death of Camilla.
  • Aen. 12, 919-952. Death of Turn

III. Morphosyntax.

The linguistic knowledge learnt in the first-year subjects "Elements de Llengua Llatina" and "Textos Narratius Llatins" and in second-year subject "Historiografia i Oratòria Llatines" are taken for granted, and will not be explained again.

Nominal morphosyntax

  • Morphologic archaisms
  • The greek declension in Latin
  • The so-called accusativus graecus
  • Dative of direction.
  • Demostrative adverbs
  • Uses of prepositions

Verbal morphosyntax

  • Imperative
  • The so-called dominant participle
  • Supin

Sentence structure

  • Conditional sentences
  • Subjunctive in Independent Sentences

IV. Stylistics

  • Grammatical concordance. Hyperbaton
  • Rhetorical figures (hypallage; metonymy; synechdoche; allegory; alliteration; anaphora; chiasmus; brachylogie; ellipsis; hyperbole; hendiadys; leitotes; tmesis; abusio)

V. Latin Prosody

  • Vowel quantity and syllabic quantity.
  • Dactylic hexameter
  • Synalepha / elision, hiatus
  • Caesurae: trihemimeres, penthemimeres, trochaic, hepthemimeres, bucolic diaeresis. Use simple and combined 
     

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Reading comprehension 5 0.2 12, 13
Theoretical contents 5 0.2 1, 15, 14, 3, 5, 9, 8
Translation and commentary of texts 40 1.6 1, 15, 14, 3, 5, 10
Type: Supervised      
Exercies of prosody and translation 10 0.4 14, 10
Reading comprehension and morphosintactical exercises 10 0.4 1, 12, 13
Type: Autonomous      
Daily translation 45 1.8 1, 15, 14, 7, 12, 10, 13
Obligatory readings 20 0.8 3, 5
Study of lexicon and grammar 15 0.6 12, 13

Methodology

The classes will be eminently practical. The professor will dedicate time to:

  • Read, translate and comment on the proposed selection of texts.
  • Provide students with mechanisms that allow them to progressively increase the volume of translated text.
  • Read and understand texts in sight without the use of the dictionary.
  • Correct the texts translated daily by students.
  • Discuss the linguistic, literary and sociocultural content of translated texts, with a singular emphasis on aspects related to their later tradition.
  • Explain the grammatical, metrical and stylistic contents based on the text.
  • Explain de realia contents that help contextualise the text.
  • Make understand the Aeneid in its historical and littery context.
Students will have to use a bilingual university dictionary; they will not be allowed to use a school dictionary
 
 
 

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
Reading Aeneid 15% 0 0 3, 5, 9, 8
Translation and commentary of a passage of Aeneid previous commented in class 10% 0 0 1, 6, 2, 15, 14, 7, 3, 12, 5, 9, 8, 11, 10, 13
Translation of a fragment of Aeneid not previously commented in class 45% 0 0 1, 14, 12, 11, 10
Translation of a short passage not previous commented in class (up to 10 vv) 15% 0 0 1, 7, 12, 10, 11, 13
Work at home and during the lessons 15% 0 0 1, 4, 12, 10, 13

I. Assessment

The final grade will be calculated as follows:w

  • Personal resolution of exercises. Periodically, students must solve short exercises in writing or answer questions, in which they demonstrate the understanding and application of the contents explained in the face-to-face classes. These exercises can be done in the classroom without prior notice, at the beginning or end of the session. (15%)
  • Reading control of Virgil's Aeneid. It will be carried out through two tests in which students must demonstrate that they have carefully read the work in translation (15%).
  • Translation test of a short text of the Aeneid not previously worked on (between 7 and 10 vv.), with resolution of morphosyntactic questions (15%).
  • Synthesis test. Translation of a text of The Aeneid not previously worked on in class between (15 and 18 vv.), with resolution of morphosyntactic, stylistic and metric questions (45%).
  • Translation and grammatical commentary of a text seen in class (10%). At the end of the face-to-face teaching period, students must submit a translation and commentary of a text written in class, which will be assigned by the teacher, at least one week before submission.

II. Please note:

The delivery of 5 of the assessment items (assignments / exercises / exams) excludes the possibility of obtaining the status of No avaluable as a final course grade.

To obtain the status Pass as a final course grade is obligatory:

  1. Having done the final translation exam of a not seen passage and have obtained ≥ 4 in it.
  2. Having done one part of reading test of the Aeneid.
If the sum of the weighting of the grades is 5 or higher, but one of the two requirements mentioned above is not met, the student will be graded with a 4.5 (failed).

III. Reassessment

For the Re-assessment the following conditions are applicable students must have previously been assessed in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to 2/3 of the total grade.

In the recovery phase, the student will only be able to recover the exam of final translation (45%).

IV. Calendar of assigments:

  • Reading test of Aeneid I-VI.13-03-2026
  • Reading test ofAeneid VII-XII. 15-05-2026
  • Midterm exam. 27-03-2026
  • Final exam. 19-06-2025
  • Translation and commentary of a passage of Aeneid  previous commented in class. 17-06-2026

V. Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all gradesawarded, and the date on which such areview will take place.

VI. Plagiarism and copying

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.

VII: Use of AI

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or content-based searches, text correction or translations, where applicable.Other specific situations may be contemplated, as deemed appropriate by the teacher. The student must clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

This subject does not incorporate single assessment.


Bibliography

1. Aeneidos editiones.

  • Gian Biaggio Conte (ed.). Ed. Teubner, Berloni et Novi Eboraci 2009.
  • Jacques Perret (ed.), 3 vols. Ed. Les belles lettres, Paris 1981-1987.
  • Roger Aubrey B. Mynors (ed.). Ed. Oxford Classical Texts, Oxford 1969
  • Miquel Dolç (ed.). Ed. Fundació Bernat Metge, Barcelona 1972 - 1975 .
  • Henri Goelzer (ed.), 2 vols. Ed. Les belles lettres, Paris 1925 (196411).
  • Luis Rivero García; Miryam Librán Moreno et al. (eds.), 4 vols. CSIC, Madrid 2009-2011.

2. Editions with commentary

  • Aeneid: Books 1–6, ed. Randall Ganiban; Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis, 2012.
  • Vergil's Aeneid: Expanded Collection, ed. Barbara Weiden Boyd, Bolchazy Carducci Publishers, Mundelein, Illinois.

3. Manuals of Latin Grammar

  • Lavency, Marius, Vsus. Grammaire latine. Ed. Duculot, Paris, 1985; 19972.
  • Panhuis, Dirk, Latin Grammar. Ed. University of Michigan Press; Ann Arbor-Michigan, 2009.
  • Pinkster, Harm, Sintaxis y semàntica del latín, Ed. Gredos, Madrid, 1995. 
  • Rubio, Lisardo - González, Tomás, Nueva gramática latina, Ed. Coloquio, Madrid 1990.
  • Segura Munguía, Sebastián, Gramática Latina: Nueva trilogía sobre la lengua latina, Deusto 2012.
  • Valentí, Eduard, Sintaxi llatina, Curial, Barcelona, 1979 [revisada per P. L. Cano]

4. Manuals of Latin Literature

  • Albrecht, Michael von, "Virgilio", en Id., Historia de la literatura romana: desde Andronico hasta Boecio, 2 vols.Ed. Herder, Barcelona, 1997-1999, vol. I (1997), pp. 622 - 661.
  • Bieler, Ludwig, "La época de Augusto" i "Virgilio", en Id., Historiade la literatura romana, Gredos, Madrid,1972, pp. 175 - 185; 185- 212.
  • Conte, Gian Biagio, Latin literature. A history, Baltimore, Johs Hopkins University Press, 1999 / Letteratura latina, Milano, Mondadori, 2002. Capítol 25: Virgili.
  • Fernández Corte, José C., "La Eneida", en Codoñer, Carmen (ed.), Historia de la literatura latina, Cátedra, Madrid, 1997, pp. 177-190.

5. Manuals of Latin Prosody.

  • Ceccarelli, Lucio, Prosodia y métrica del latín clásico, (trad. de Rocío Carande). Ed. Universidad de Sevilla,Sevilla 1999.

6. Historical context

  • Pierre Grimal, El segle d’August,  Edicions de 1984, Barcelona, 1999.

7. Dictionaries

  • Seva, Antoni (dir.), Diccionari llatí-català.Ed. EnciclopèdiaCatalana.
  • Gaffiot, Felix, Dictionnaire illustré latin-français. Ed. Hachette.
  • Glare, P. G. W., Oxford Latin Dictionary. Clarendon Press.
  • Blánquez, A., Diccionario latino-español. Gredos

8. Specialized dictionaries.

  • Ernout, Alfred; Meillet, Antoine, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine, Paris 1967.
  • Quicherat, Louis, Thesaurus Poeticus Linguae Latinae, Hildesheim 19672.

9. Dictionries on line.

  • Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary (Perseus) < http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.04.0059>.
  • Félix Gaffiot, F., Dictionnaire latin-français < http://gerardgreco.free.fr/spip.php?article43&lang=fr > i <http://www.tabularium.be/gaffiot >.
  • Logeion < https://logeion.uchicago.edu/lexidium >.

10. Virgil

  • Farrell, Joseph  - Putnam, Michael C. J. A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and Its Tradition. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2010. Accessible des de la UAB: < https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1c3utr0/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2131863346 >.

11. Aeneid's Translations.

In Catalan:

  • Transl. by Joan Bellés . Ed. Empúries. Barcelona 2002.
  • Poetical trans. by Miquel Dolç. Ed. Alpha. Barcelona 1958.
  • Transl. by Miquel Dolç, 4 vols. Ed. Fundació Bernat Metge. Barcelona, 1972-78.
  • Transl. by Miquel Dolç, 2 vols. Bernat Metge Essencial. Barcelona, 2019.

In Spanish:

  • Traducción, estudio preliminar, bibliografía y notas de Dulce Estefanía Álvarez, Ed. PPU. Barcelona, 1988.
  • Traducción de José Carlos Fernández Corte, Cátedra, Madrid, 2008.
  • Traducción de Javier de Echave-Sustaeta, Gredos, Madrid, 201

12. Recomended readings

  • Calvino, Italo, "Por qué leer los clásicos", en Id. Por qué leer los clásicos. Ed. Tusquets editores, Barcelona,19972, pp. 13-20.
  • Eliot, Thomas Stearns, "Què és un clàssic", en Id., Sobre poetes i poesia. Ed. Columna, Barcelona, 1999, pp.61-81.
  • Eliot,Thomas Stearns, "Virgili i el món cristià", en Id., Sobre poetes i poesia. Ed. Columna, Barcelona, 1999, pp. 141-153.
  • Sainte-Beuve, Charles-Augustin, Qué és un clásico, Ed. Casimiro, Madrid, 2011

 


Software

Students do not need specific software


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 second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed