LATIN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - II

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 gain an understanding of the historical phases of Latin (from pre-documentary times to the early Middle Ages) and its core linguistic structures, particularly those of Classical Latin. They will be able to:
- Grasp the development of Latin leading to the Romance languages;
- Chronologically and typologically identify texts, recognizing key morpho-syntactic features of archaic Latin and semantic shifts in the Christian era;
- Trace elements of modern Italian and other Romance languages back to their Latin roots, enhancing awareness of Italian linguistic history.

Module 2 – Latin Literature: Students will acquire a general overview of Latin literary development from its origins to Late Antiquity. They will:
- Understand historical periods, cultural practices, stylistic trends;
- Identify genres, authors, and major works in their historical contexts and their influence on later (especially Italian) literature;
- Learn about the transmission of literary texts through time;
- Deepen their grasp of literary Latin, styles, genres, and key authors through guided reading.

A basic knowledge of Latin is mandatory for all students taking the exam. This must be certified as follows:
1. ONLY for students enrolled in the Humanities Degree Program from AY 2025–2026: basic knowledge of Latin is verified through a LATIN ASSESSMENT TEST (Exemptions apply: please contact carmela.cioffi@unive.it), to be taken after enrollment. 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 must pass Laboratorio di latino 1 TEST to certify their basic Latin skills. 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.

General Content
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

- A selection of Latin texts provided by the instructors via Moodle.
- F. Berardi, Le vie del latino. Storia della lingua latina con elementi di grammatica storica, Congedo, 2022.
- A. Cavarzere, A. De Vivo, P. Mastandrea, Letteratura latina. Una sintesi storica, Carocci, 2003 / 2015 (2nd ed.).

Additional materials (slides, summaries, images, digital resources) will be made available on Moodle.

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 (Module 1)
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 (Module 2)
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).

Traditional classes; readings from original Latin texts.