Latin 1 - Through the use of Wheelock’s Latin, an innovative text which takes a schematic as well as a reading approach to second language learning, students will become familiar with a large segment of derivative Latin vocabulary, while they master basic components of Latin grammar. Original Latin appears in translation exercises and aspects of Roman culture are presented in special contexts as a prelude for the later encounter with authors such as Cicero, Vergil, Catullus and Horace. All students will take the National Latin Examination.
Latin 1 (Honors) - This course covers all the material prescribed for the regular Latin 1 course, but moves through the material at a more rapid rate. Students who apply for this course must take a placement examination administered through the Dean of Academics. Scores on that examination will determine admission. Students in Honors Latin 1 will complete at least 2 more units than students in regular Latin 1 and will read more connected Latin prose. All students will take the National Latin Examination.
Latin 2 - After a comprehensive review of the grammar and vocabulary covered in first year Latin, students in Latin 2 complete the study of grammar while also extending their mastery of Latin vocabulary. They will translate passages of connected prose, excerpted thematically from various prose authors and collected in the reader which accompanies Wheelock’s Latin. Students will have increased exposure to the literary, historical, artistic and cultural contexts of the passages they are studying. All students will take the National Latin Examination.
Latin 2 (Honors)/Greek 1 (Honors) - Requires departmental approval. Open to students with interest in and talent for learning a second language, as well as with distinguished performance in Latin 1, this course presents the fundamental grammar and vocabulary of ancient Attic Greek in conjunction with instruction in Latin 2. Students have the opportunity to integrate the study of the language, history and literature of the Greek and Roman worlds. Emphasis is placed on the integrated study of both languages and cultures. After a review of first year Latin, students progress through additional grammar and vocabulary, translating selected passages from Livy and Caesar. As much as possible of basic Attic Greek will be covered. All students will take the National Greek Examination and National Latin Examination.
Latin 3 - Students read selections from five Roman poets—Catullus, Vergil, Horace, Tibullus and Ovid. Students apply their knowledge of morphology, syntax and vocabulary to what they read and gain an appreciation for the enduring works of these poets. With the continued development of their reading and translation skills, students become familiar with various meters, and become increasingly sensitive to word-order and poetic style. In the spring term, the class translates and analyzes Cicero’s speech Pro Archia or De Amicitia. The techniques and elements of rhetoric as well as the historical and literary context of these speeches become the focus. All students will take the National Latin Examination, and will be prepared to take the SAT Subject Test in Latin.
Greek 2 (Honors) - This course reviews the fundamentals of Greek 1 as learned in the Honors Latin 2/Greek 1 course, completes the study of the grammar, and exposes the student to a wide variety of selections from the literature of the Golden Age of Athens. In tragedy, students will read from Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, in history from Thucydides, in rhetoric from Demosthenes and Lysias, and in philosophy from Plato’s Apology and Crito. This course is intended to expose the student to a wide range of Greek literature, art and architecture as corollaries of the primary language study. Students will take the National Greek Examination.
Greek 3 (Honors) - Tailored to the skills and preferences of the students who elect it, and open only to those who have had two years of Greek, the course begins by completing the poetry and prose anthology begun in Greek 2 Honors. Thereafter, the teacher may select specific full works for translation. Traditionally these readings have consisted of a complete Greek tragedy or comedy, Plato’s Apology, or significant selections from the Homeric epics. Ideally the course matter grows from the Greek 2 experience. Students will take the National Greek Examination.
Latin (AP) Vergil - Requires departmental approval. This course is open to students who have demonstrated superior ability in their Latin study of at least two years. Students will translate, interpret and analyze selections from Vergil’s epic poem, the Aeneid. All students in the course will complete the syllabus prescribed by the Princeton Educational Testing Service and will take the Advanced Placement Examination in Vergil. Of the 12 books (chapters) that comprise the Aeneid, students will read in Latin selections from Books 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, and 12. While becoming familiar with the other books in English as well as with prominent secondary scholarship, students develop their skills of translation, interpretation, grammatical and syntactical analysis, and will take the National Latin Examination and the SAT II Latin Examination.
Advanced Latin Seminar (Honors) – Requires departmental approval. This course is open to students who have completed three full years of Latin with distinction in their study. The content of this course will vary depending upon student and faculty interest, likely containing some mixture of Latin prose and poetry. The course will place a heavy demand upon a student’s knowledge of Latin vocabulary, grammar and syntax. The texts to be studied will be translated, interpreted, and analyzed, with extensive readings from secondary literature. Material concerning Roman culture, society, and politics will also be integrated into the course. Students will take the National Latin Examination and the SAT II Latin Examination.