LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - I

Latin Language and Literature is the first of the Latin courses in the three-year undergraduate curriculum. It is a core subject within the Bachelor's degree program in HUmanities (Lettere), offering initial training in the linguistic history and literary culture of the Mediterranean Antiquity and of Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day. In the recommended study plan of both curricula of the Humanities degree, the Latin Language and Literature exam is scheduled in the second year (see: unive.it/piano-di-studio).
The main goals of the Latin Language and Literature course are to provide a historical overview of the Latin linguistic system from its origins through Late Antiquity to its evolution into the Romance languages; to offer a historical overview of Latin literary tradition and its influence on later literary traditions; to introduce methodological tools for analyzing original Latin texts from linguistic, literary, stylistic, and rhetorical perspectives.
The course (FT0435, 12 CFU) is offered in the first semester, divided into two parallel sections (A–L, M–Z), and consists of two modules, with Module 1 being a prerequisite for Module 2: Module 1 – Latin Language (A–L / M–Z: C. Cioffi) + Module 2 – Latin Literature (A–L: M. Venuti / M–Z: L. Mondin)
Module 1 may be taken independently (6 CFU) by students enrolled in other Bachelor's programs at the university (see prerequisites in §2). Module 2 is available only as the second part of the full 12 CFU course.

Module 1 - Latin language: students will have an overview of the phases of the Latin language along a broad diachronic axis (from the pre-documentary phase to the threshold of the Middle Ages) and of the main aspects of the linguistic system of Latin, especially classical. They will thus be able to understand in its general lines the development of the Latin language up to the Romance outcomes; they will be able to place chronologically and typologically texts belonging to the different phases of linguistic development, recognizing morphological-syntactic phenomena typical of archaic Latin and semantic evolutions typical of the Christian period; they will be able to trace elements and phenomena of the Italian language and the Romance languages ​​back to the Latin matrix, and identify the fundamental lines of the linguistic transition from Latin to Italian, obtaining a greater awareness of the origins and characteristics of the Italian linguistic system.

Module 2 - Latin Literature: students will acquire a general vision of the development of literature in Latin from its origins to the end of antiquity; they will learn about its different historical phases, the related cultural practices and the related stylistic trends; they will have an idea of ​​the literary genres, authors and main works in their respective historical and cultural contexts and of their influence on the subsequent literary tradition, especially Italian; they will also have an idea of ​​the ways of circulation and tradition of literary texts in antiquity and of their subsequent transmission up to the present day. At the same time, through the guided reading of a sample of texts, students will add to the linguistic knowledge already acquired a further knowledge of literary Latin and of the styles of the various eras, of the different literary genres and of some specific authors of greater importance.

A basic knowledge of Latin is mandatory for all students taking the exam. This must be certified as follows:
1. Students Enrolled in the Humanities Degree Program (from AY 2025–2026)
As outlined here:
Students must have adequate Italian language skills and a basic knowledge of Latin. This is verified through a LATIN ASSESSMENT TEST, to be taken after enrollment. Failure results in an Additional Learning Requirement (OFA).
Students who fail must attend the mandatory OFA – LATIN remedial course in the second semester and pass its exam.
Passing the OFA LATIN exam is required to take the Latin Language and Literature exam.
Full details and calendar will be published in the OFA section on the “Studiare page” of the website.
2) Students Enrolled Before AY 2025–2026 and Students in Other Degree Programs
These students must pass Laboratorio di latino 1 TEST 1 to certify their basic Latin skills. Exemptions apply. Passing the test is required before registering for the exam. Attending the course is allowed without passing the test, but it is strongly recommended to take it at the start of the academic year.
Those who fail can attend the OFA – LATIN course in semester two.

Historical development of Latin from its origins through Late Antiquity and into the Romance languages.
Historical overview of Latin literature.
Reading and analysis (in original Latin) of selected texts focusing on linguistic, stylistic, and literary-historical aspects.

Module 1 – Latin Language
Introductory lessons: The history of Latin and its transition to Romance languages (especially Italian); definitions of “Latin language,” textual transmission, and historical context.
Text readings and commentary:
-Archaic Latin
-Classical and Imperial Latin
-Late Latin


Module 2 – Latin Literature
-Rome’s expansion and decline; periodization of Roman and literary history
-Transmission of literary texts and textual preservation/loss
-Archaic Literature (3rd–2nd century BCE)
-Classical Literature (1st century BCE)
-Early Imperial Literature (1st–2nd century CE)
-Late Imperial Literature (3rd–5th century CE)
-Romano-Germanic Literature (6th–7th century CE)
-Selected readings in Latin to support historical analysis

1) A selection of readings in the original language provided by the teachers and available on the course's Moodle platform.
2) F. Berardi, Le vie del latino. Storia della lingua latina con Elementi di grammatica storica, Galatina, Congedo, 2022².
3) A. Cavarzere, A. De Vivo, P. Mastandrea, Letteratura latina. Una sintesi storica, Roma, Carocci, 2003, 2015².

Study support materials (slides, summary tables, short summary discussions, images, links to digital tools on the web, etc.) will be freely available in specific sections of the course's Moodle platform.

Assessment is via a written exam (120 minutes) with 10 questions:
Topics: linguistic evolution, features of Latin and its transition to Romance languages, literary history, genres, authors, textual transmission, and analysis of original texts.

Scoring Breakdown:
2 closed-ended questions (1 point each)
6 open-ended questions (3 points each)
2 open-ended questions on original texts (5 points each)

Q5: linguistic analysis of a text from Module 1
Q10: translation (without dictionary) of a text from Module 2 + 2 stylistic or literary questions
Minimum score required: 3/5 on both Q5 and Q10
Failing Q5 or Q10 automatically results in failure of the whole exam, regardless of the total score.

Exam Format Summary:

Latin Language
Q1: closed-ended (1 pt)
Q2–Q4: open-ended (3×3 = 9 pts)
Q5: open-ended text analysis (5 pts, pass threshold: 3 pts)

Latin Literature
Q6: closed-ended (1 pt)
Q7–Q9: open-ended (3×3 = 9 pts)
Q10: open-ended translation + questions (5 pts, pass threshold: 3 pts)
Total: 30/30, with optional honors ("lode") at the instructor’s discretion.
A sample exam is available on Moodle for practice.

Midterm Exam
A midterm test on Module 1 (Q1–Q5, 60 minutes) will be offered during the first semester, between the first and second teaching periods.
Note for Students Enrolled Before AY 2025–2026
These students may take the exam according to the previous syllabus and format until January 2026. After that, they must follow the new exam structure. However, they must still pass Laboratorio di latino 1 TEST as detailed in Prerequisites §2.

written

Grading Criteria
Based on the assessment method described above, grades for the written exam are assigned as follows:
Questions 1 and 6 (closed-ended, worth 1 point each out of 30):
Incorrect answer: 0/30
Correct answer: 1/30
Questions 2–4 and 7–9 (open-ended, worth 3 points each out of 30):
Evaluated on:
a) Accuracy and completeness of the content, proportional to the space provided in the exam booklet, and proper use of linguistic and literary terminology (0 to 2 points);
b) Clarity and correctness of Italian language expression (0 to 1 point).
Question 5 (worth 5 points out of 30; minimum passing score: 3/5):
Evaluated on:
a) Accuracy of the linguistic analysis (0 to 2 points);
b) Completeness of the discussion (0 to 2 points);
c) Strength of the argumentation in the analysis (0 to 1 point).
Question 10 (worth 5 points out of 30; minimum passing score: 3/5):
Evaluated on:
a) Completeness of the translation (0 to 2 points);
b) Grammatical and lexical accuracy of the translation (0 to 2 points);
c) Accuracy of the answers to accompanying questions (0 to 1 point).

The lesson is traditional, frontal, and includes the illustration of the general characteristics of the linguistic evolution and literary history of Latin; the reading, translation and commentary of original passages taken from texts by Latin authors chosen by the teacher to introduce students to aspects and problems of synchronic and diachronic linguistic study.