Latin 510 (Roman Historians): Tacitus' Nero
Winter Quarter 2023 -- MW 2:30-4:20
Professor A. M. Gowing
Office: Denny M262C
E-mail: alain@u.washington.edu
Winter Quarter Office Hours: M 11:30-12:20 and by appointment (email me). I'm in my office during office hrs., but if you prefer Zoom, please let me know)
Please note that this graduate seminar requires an advanced reading knowledge of Latin.
Nero! Tacitus! What's not to like? In this graduate reading class, we will read (in Latin) highlights from the surviving portion of Tacitus' account of the emperor Nero (AD 54-68) -- namely, Books 13-16 of the Annales. What we do not read in Latin we will read in Woodman's English translation (in short, we'll read the entirety of Tacitus' Neronian books). The bulk of class time will be spent working through (i.e., translating) Tacitus' masterful but often challenging Latin, hopefully improving in the process your ability to read Latin prose. While not a seminar per se, we shall also make room for examination of the key themes and preoccupations of Tacitus' account as well as read a representative sampling of the scholarship on this historian.
Required texts:
NB: These texts are NOT suggestions -- they are required. Please do not substitute.
H. Heubner, ed. P. Cornelius Tacitus. Tome 1: Annales. Bibliotheca Teubneriana. Stuttgart: Teubner 1994 (2nd updated ed.). ISBN: 9783598718335 [NB: There is now an e-edition, published in 2013]
Tacitus. The Annals. A.J. Woodman, trans. Hackett. [e-version available from publisher] ISBN 0872205584. This will serve as both a translation and a limited but useful sort of commentary]
Requirements:
- Please make every attempt to keep up with the weekly assignments and come to class prepared and ready to contribute.
- A few short translation quizzes -- I am being deliberately vague here, because I'll gauge the need for these as we progress. In part I intend to use these as a way to prepare those of you who have not yet taken or passed the Latin translation exam.
Schedule of readings:
NB: Each week (a week or so in advance) I will add here a detailed description of the assignment for the week (what you see here initially is simply a tentative indication of the reading in Tacitus I intend to cover each week). I indicate here the portions to be read in Latin and those to be read in English (=Woodman...please use his translation).
All assignments are of course in Tacitus' Annals.
Week 1 (2-5 Jan.): Book 13.1-3
Week 2 (8-12 Jan.): Book. 13.4-5 (Latin); 6-11 (Woodman); 12-14 (Latin)
Detailed Assignment for Week 2
Week 3 (15-19 Jan): Book 13.15-17 (Latin); 18-24 (Woodman); 25 (Latin); 26-43 (Woodman); 44-46 (Latin); 47-58 (Woodman)
NB: No class meeting Monday, Jan. 15. (MLK)
Detailed Assignment for Week 3
Week 4 (22-26 Jan.): Book 14.1-9 (Latin); 10-13 (Woodman); 14-16 (Latin); 17-28 (Woodman)
Detailed Assignment for Week 4
Week 5 (29 Jan.-2 Feb.): Book 14.29-39 (Latin); 40-50 (English)
Detailed Assignment for Week 5
Translation Assignment 1 (due Th., Feb. 1)
Week 6 (5-9 Feb.): Book 14.51 (Woodman); 52-65 (Latin)
Detailed Assignment for Week 6
Week 7 (12-16 Feb.): Book 15.1-22 (Woodman); 23 (Latin); 24-32 (Woodman); 33-37 (Latin)
Detailed Assignment for Week 7
Sight Translation Assignment (due Tuesday, Feb. 20)
Week 8 (19-23 Feb.): Book 15.38-44 (Latin); 45-47 (Woodman)
NB: No class meeting Monday, 19 Feb. (Pres.)
Detailed Assignment for Week 8
Week 9 (26 Feb.-1 Mar.): Book 15.48-59 (Woodman); 60-65 (Latin); 66-70 (Woodman); 71-74 (Latin)
Detailed Assignment for Week 9
Week 10 (4-8 Mar.): Book 16.1-3 (Latin); 4-9 (Woodman); 10-11 (Latin); 12-15 (Woodman); 16-19 (Latin); 20-33 (Woodman); 34-35 (Latin)
Detailed Assignment for Week 10
Final Translation Assignment (available W., Mar. 6 at 4:30 PM and due Th., Mar. 14 by 11 PM)