LA 211A LATIN READINGS - Seneca's Epistulae Morales
spring 2012
This semester LA 211A will read selections from the
Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium by L. Annaeus Seneca. The course
will emphasize:
(1) the philosophical content of the letters,
taking the letters as representative of the "pop" Stoicism typical of
Rome's upper classes in the first centuries BC and AD;
(2) the Latin style of the letters, taking the
letters as representative in their way of Silver Latin prose.
Texts of the Epistulae
morales will be distributed in class. Please do not make any marks in
your texts since they will be used for quizzes.
If there are any marks whatsoever in your text you will receive an F for
the quiz.
After some brief introductory remarks we will begin
reading the letters in the following order: 28, 44, 5, 7, 80, 18, 107, 33, 43, 47, 63, 108 (##12-23).
If all goes well, we should be able to do more than
this, in which case I will assign a supplemental reading list as we near the
end of this one.
Assignments:
At the end of
each class session readings will be assigned for preparation for the next
class. Preparation means translating the assigned readings to the best of
your ability, using the praelectiones and Perseus, and thinking about their content before you come
to class. You are responsible for all texts assigned in class, whether or
not they are actually covered in the next class session. You are urged to work
together in small groups preparing the assigned texts, though, of course, you
will be personally responsible for the entire assigned text, whether you work
cooperatively or individually. You will be
penalized when your classroom responses indicate incomplete or careless
preparation of the assigned texts.
Grading:
There will be a brief (two-three minute)
translation quiz on the first class day of each week during the semester,
covering all texts translated in class since the last quiz. Any quiz missed
without a legitimate excuse will be graded F. These translation quizzes will
account for 50% of your semester grade. There will also be two major essays,
mid-term and final, testing your analysis of the texts we have been studying;
these essays will be based on the Latin texts, but they will not contain
translation as such. Each of these two essays will count for 25% of your
semester grade.
Absences:
According to the Catalogue "All
students are expected to attend every scheduled class session. The impact of
attendance on grading is specified in the syllabus." Because of the
importance of classroom discussion in this course no more than four absences
for any reason whatsoever will be allowed. Students with more than
four absences may apply for a "Withdrawal" from the course; students
with more than four absences who are not permitted to withdraw from the course
will receive a failing grade.
Class Web Site:
The address of the class web site is: http://faculty.fairfield.edu/rosivach/la211a.
My schedule of office hours and other information relevant to the class
will be posted there.
E-Mail:
If you have any questions on any topic related to
class, e-mail me and I will answer your question as soon as I am able. My
e-mail address is rosivach@fairfield.edu.
If you have to communicate with me for any reason, I would prefer that you use
e-mail, not voice-mail. If you do use
voice-mail please do not expect me to return your call.