Latin (and Its Speakers) in Time and Space

Catalog description

What do we mean by "Latin"? Our earliest Latin-language texts date to 600BC or earlier; our latest, to centuries after Rome's decline. We also have an astonishing range of Latin texts by people of every background: women, the enslaved, soldiers, merchants, travelers, non-native Latin users, even idle passerby. These documents range from single words to expansive treatises, simple greetings to complex rites; all inform the "story of Latin" as much as the elite "literary" writing of the Classical period, and are crucial evidence of life during Roman times. This course will introduce students (graduates and advanced undergraduates) to the study of Latin across time and context, with two major goals: 1) to make this sometimes overwhelming topic accessible; and 2) to better understand the rich cultural influences that shaped Latin in use. Coursework will include introductions to major corpora (e.g., inscriptions, vernacular tablet letters, graffiti, non-elite literatures) and associated methodologies (e.g., epigraphy, material studies, historical linguistics), in addition to detailed study and discussion of important texts. Intermediate-to-advanced knowledge of Latin will be assumed, but NO background in linguistics, epigraphy, material culture, and Roman history is expected or required.