Classic Languages

Classical Civilization is a year-long, discussion-based course on the Greek and Roman worlds and their continuing influence. Topics and readings may be drawn from classical history, mythology, and philosophy, with frequent digressions into art, astronomy, arithmetic, biography, cosmology, geology, geography, geometry, historiography, grammar, logic, rhetoric, music, philology, prehistory, the Middle Ages, and the modern world. Open to fourth, fifth, and sixth form.

This course for beginners introduces the language and culture of the Greek world from the time of Homer to the present day. Students will learn to read and write the Greek alphabet and become conversant with the themes of Greek literature and history through stories and dialogues. In addition to reading simple narratives from classical mythology and the Greek Bible, we will study vocabulary and concepts pertaining to mathematics, science, and philosophy and their origins in Greek thought. Students will also be introduced to basic modern Greek vocabulary and conversational phrases.

This course provides a comprehensive foundation and review in Attic Greek, the dialect of 5th-century Athens. The primary narrative follows an Athenian farmer and his family, supplemented by selections from lyric poetry and the New Testament. This course may serve as an accelerated introduction to Greek for students who have demonstrated proficiency in Latin or another foreign language. Prerequisite: Greek 1 or departmental permission.

The term-contained courses of Greek 3 introduce students to advanced readings from original Greek literature while continuing the study of grammar, vocabulary, dialect, literary devices, and meter. Readings most commonly include selections from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey or the Cyclops of Euripides. Prerequisite: Greek 2 or departmental approval.

The term-contained courses of Greek 4 continue the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. Prerequisite: Greek 3 or departmental approval.

This course continues the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. These courses are term-contained. Prerequisite: Greek 3 and/or departmental approval.

This introductory Latin course introduces the student to the language and culture of the Roman world. In preparation for reading the classical authors, Latin is approached as a practical means of communication through reading, writing, and basic conversation. Special attention is also given to vocabulary acquisition through an engaging narrative that follows a Roman family and their daily life. Students are also introduced to the fundamentals of Latin grammar and the etymology of English words derived from Latin, as well as the relationship of Latin to the Romance languages.

This course serves as a continuation of Latin 1 or an entry point for students with sufficient previous Latin experience. With reading comprehension as the primary goal, students continue to expand their study of formal grammar and syntax. Stories and fables within the narrative provide opportunities for discussion of cultural and historical context. Prerequisite: Latin 1 or departmental approval.

Latin 3 begins with a thorough review of grammar and vocabulary. By the end of the fall term, the course focuses on the reading of advanced Latin prose. The Winter Term features the reading of heroic legends in Latin and a thorough study of Greek and Roman myths by way of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. The goal of this course is to prepare students for selected readings from a Roman author during the spring term. At the honors level, students complete an accelerated review of grammar and vocabulary in the fall term and read selections from Cicero and Vergil in the winter and spring terms, with a focus on the Roman Republic and an introduction to Latin poetry and mythology. Prerequisite: Latin 2 or departmental approval.

The Advanced Studies in Latin course offers students the opportunity to read, analyze and gain an appreciation for Golden Age Latin poetry and prose through the works of Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Latin readings include (but are not limited to) selections from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6 of the Aeneid and Books 1, 4, 5, and 6 of Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Additional readings in English of both works are required, with a view toward recognition of themes, central characters, and key ideas. Period tests will require students to translate familiar and unfamiliar passages as literally as possible, identify passages in context and analyze and comment upon content with respect to style, rhetorical aspects, and theme. Prerequisite: Honors Latin 3 or departmental approval.

This course examines Roman life during the reign of the emperor Nero through a comprehensive study of Petronian satire. Students read selections from the Cena Trimalchionis and gain a view of the 1st-century Roman world along with insights into conversational Latin, social changes, and how the prosperity of the empire led to displays of very conspicuous consumption—all contained within a Roman “novel” written during the Silver Age of Latin literature. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin examines sacred and secular Latin texts from the Middle Ages when Latin was a living language of scholarship and communication. Texts studied may include selections from the Latin Vulgate, the Colloquy of Aelfric in Latin and Old English, legends of saints and travelers, and the Roman Missal. Attention is given to the art and technique of medieval illuminated manuscripts and musical settings of the Mass by Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, and other composers. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Following an overview of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, students explore Virgil’s Aeneid and Book VIII, in particular, to gain an understanding of how Virgil’s literary epic fits into the patterns established by Homer. Students translate selections from Book VIII and become familiar with scansion, rhetorical devices, and imagery, paying close attention to the author’s unique style and thematic content that influenced writers and other artists in the years to come. Prerequisite: Latin 3.