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Latin: Prospective Students

Why Study Latin?

The language of an empire that, at its height, stretched from the north of Britain to the banks of the Euphrates, Latin occupies a major place in the history of world culture. Knowledge of it is not only essential to any deep understanding of Roman culture, it remains the key to a literature of unparalleled richness. Apart from the great classical texts of the first centuries BCE and CE, Latin remained the language of learning down to the Renaissance and beyond. It is the language not only of Cicero and Virgil, but also of Augustine, Aquinas, and Newton. Its central place within Western civilisation remains assured.

The study of Latin language and literature is fascinating and rewarding. The Latin-speaking world of Classical and Mediaeval times is the foundation of our modern Western world and Latin is the ancestor of French and Spanish and the other Romance languages; world literature still turns to classical writers for inspiration; and much of our knowledge of European history depends upon documents written in Latin. Any serious student of these subjects will find his or her understanding deepened by study of the ancient world in general and of Latin in particular.

Over a third of the students enrolled in the Arts Faculty at St Andrews take a classical subject at some stage in their course. You can choose Latin in your first year as one of your three subjects, even if you’ve never studied it before. Although you can study it just for one semester or for a year, many who did not intend to take a degree in Latin discover the appeal of the subject and continue through to the Second year and on to Honours level.

Latin at St Andrews

Although the language and literature of the Classical period is central to the course, Latin at St Andrews is not simply a part of 'classics', but a subject in its own right. The course ranges widely from the very earliest, pre-classical period through to the late Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. Latin may studied as a single honours subject, and also jointly with Ancient History, Arabic(W), Classical Studies, Comparative Literature, English, French(W), Greek, Hebrew, Italian(W), Mathematics, Mediaeval or Modern History, Middle East Studies, New Testament, Philosophy, Russian(W) or Spanish(W). The degree in Classics includes the study of both Latin and Greek.

* (W) indicates With Integrated Year Abroad option available.

It is also possible to study Latin in combination with two Modern Languages, all available With Integrated Year Abroad. Any two of the following languages may be read in conjunction with Latin: French, German (only for beginners in German), Italian, Russian, Spanish.

Courses

Sub-Honours Courses
(Note: All courses carry 20 credits)

  Semester 1 Semester 2
Year 1 LT1001. This course gives an introduction to classical Latin, for those with little or no previous experience of the language.
LT1003. This course is designed to help students with 'A' Level or Higher Latin to develop their reading and appreciation of Latin literature. We begin with an anthology of passages and some of Caesar’s Gallic War Book I, and move on to Seneca's Apocolocyntosis, his satirical obituary on the emperor Claudius.
 LT1002. This course provides a follow-on from LT1001, and introduces students to the reading of 'real Latin' texts; the course will conclude with lectures and classes on the poet Catullus.
LT1004. This course provides a follow-on from LT1003, and focusses on selected passages in Lucretius' De Rerum Natura Book 3 and in the Attic Nights of Aulus Gellius.
Year 2 LT2003 Latin in Progress I This course is designed for students who took LT1001/2 in their first year, and aims to building on the reading skills they will already have acquired. Works studied are Cicero's Dream of Scipio and Catullus' Peleus and Thetis.
LT2001 Latin Language and Literature I: the Republic This course is designed for students who took LT1003/4 in their first year, and aims to building on the reading skills they will already have acquired. Texts studied are as for LT2003, along with selections from Lucretius' On the Nature of the Universe.

 LT2004 Latin in Progress II This course aims to bring ex-beginners up to a comparable level with students who had studied Latin at school. A selection from the great classical Roman writers is studied, including portions Cicero’s Letters, Virgil's Aeneid, and the elegy of Tibullus and Propertius.
LT2002 Latin Language and Literature I: the Empire A selection from the great classical Roman writers is studied, including portions of Cicero’s Letters, Virgil's Aeneid, and the elegy of Tibullus and Propertius.

First level

You do not need to have taken Latin at school in order to study it at St Andrews. At this level there are two possible routes.

For those with a qualification in Higher or A-level Latin, or their foreign equivalents, there are two modules which study Latin literature, one based on prose authors, one on verse. There are normally three lectures per week, and the class meets once a week in tutorial groups of about five students to study and discuss language and literature in various ways.

There is also a pair of modules specially designed for beginners or virtual beginners. Students follow a carefully graded programme and meet three or four times a week in tutorial groups to learn grammar and vocabulary and read continuous texts. After completing these modules successfully they are able to go on to Second level work and proceed to an Honours degree in Latin in the normal four years.

Second level

The aims of the second level modules are to increase speed and fluency, to deepen and broaden the study of Latin literature, and to see it in cultural perspective. There are two modules, The Age of Cicero and Poetry of the Age of Augustus, in which major writers of these periods and other aspects - especially art and thought - will be studied in lectures, seminars, and private reading. Tutorials will meet once a week and continue the same kinds of work as at First level. Those who have taken the beginners' modules in their First year will follow versions of the above mentioned modules specially adapted to their needs.

Honours (see Honours Booklet for more details)

All models are worth 30 credits unless specified. Some Modules on offer (2010-12):

The Honours programme covers two years. Students can choose from a wide variety of modules taught within the School, and combine modules in various ways, depending on the degree chosen, to suit their particular interests. Non-literary areas of thought and creativity may be explored through modules dealing with Religion, Art, Philosophy, and Science, or in a module offered by another department, and the dissertation module permits students to write on a Latin topic of their choice. Much of the Honours teaching is done in small groups, with lectures or seminars, and regular tutorials.

What the Students Say

'The course is excellent, challenging but not overpowering',

'... designed both to reinforce ... basic language skills and to begin a thoughtful examination of Latin literature',

'...some fine teaching and an interesting course...' (First Year Students).