LATIN 103 A: Introductory Latin

Latin 103 A: First Year Latin   5 credits Daily               Spring 2021

Instructor: Joseph Bringman

Welcome to ancient Rome! First year Latin courses give you direct access to the thoughts and writings of the ancient Romans and allow you to explore the dynamic and often dangerous cultural, social and political world in which they wrote. Learning to interpret and use an ancient language requires you to explore unknown areas and think in new ways. Our focus is on Latin as a literary language. Course activities are designed to foster a collegial and collaborative atmosphere and to encourage you to make strong connections between the ancient language and literature we are exploring together and your other interests, passions and pursuits.  

This course counts for VLPA if you are not using it to meet the foreign language proficiency requirement.

Course Goals:

Through your work in the course this term you will demonstrate that you can: 

• Read and translate short selections from ancient Roman authors and compose simple sentences in Latin
• Understand and explain the literary, historical and cultural context of texts by ancient Roman authors
• Analyze and explain Latin grammar and syntax
• Analyze and describe the influence of the Latin language on subsequent languages and literatures

By completing the first year sequence (101-102-103) you equip yourself to read any Latin author. In our second year courses (304, 305, 306, 307) students read selections of Caesar, Horace, Catullus (305), Cicero and Ovid (306), and Virgil (307), and other authors (304). Our upper division courses offer a rotating selection of authors from the period of the Roman Republic (Latin 461), the Augustan period (Latin 462) and the Later Empire (Latin 463) (as the subject matter rotates, Latin 461-2-3 can be repeated for credit). 

Required readings:

Textbook: Wheelock's Latin 7th edition. This book explains Latin grammar and syntax and contains many short readings from ancient Roman authors and many practice exercises. You should bring Wheelock to class each day

Reader: Groton and May, 38 Latin Stories

Academic Integrity: University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity as outlined here: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf

Learning Support: Access and Accommodations

• Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

  If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

• “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/)