LATIN I
In this introduction to classical Latin, students begin to learn the basic vocabulary and grammar by reading a connected series of stories in Latin. These stories, which follow the life of a Senatorial family in the early Empire, also introduce students to the history and culture of ancient Rome. The course aims to teach students the skill of close reading through translation and to increase students’ understanding of the origins of words and of the basic grammatical structures. In addition, students are exposed to ancient mythology, Roman history, Roman religion, Greco-Roman geography, and other cultural topics from antiquity.
LATIN II
In this course, students increase their understanding of Latin grammar, and they hone their translation and reading skills by working on increasingly complex Latin passages. They continue to develop their understanding of English as well as Latin by focusing on word-building and vocabulary development in both languages. Students come to have a deeper appreciation of Roman history and culture by studying, in some detail, the history and politics of Rome from the time of Julius Caesar through the early emperors.
LATIN III
The objective of this course is to prepare students to read genuine Latin literature. Students review material from Latin I and II, and then learn additional, more complex forms of expression. Once this work is completed (roughly midyear), the students begin to read real Latin. Taking advantage of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first readings come from ancient inscriptions, which students are able to transcribe at the museum and then read and study at school. Students are then introduced to Roman literature through short poems, primarily by Catullus but also by Martial, Ovid, Horace, and others. They also study the history of Roman literature and Latin poetic technique (meter, figures of speech, and rhetorical structures) in order to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Roman poetry.
LATIN IV
Students expand their understanding of Roman literature, history, and culture as they continue to read, translate and analyze real Roman writings. In addition, they create projects and reports that require them to do research in English. The goal of the course is to develop reading and translation skills, while also gaining a broader and deeper knowledge of Roman culture through guided research. Student input and interests in large determine the specific readings and topics in the course.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT LATIN: VERGIL
This course prepares students for the Vergil Advanced Placement Examination. While reviewing Latin grammar, students also intensively study poetic vocabulary, style, and meter. They read selections of Vergil’s Aeneid in Latin and the rest of the poem in English (in order to understand the work as a whole). They also study Homer in order to understand Vergil’s epic in its literary context. Although the primary work is translation, students also discuss the readings critically in class and write frequent analytical essays.