Latin Literature Selections · Classics
Latin Literature with a focus on Satirical poetry.
I learned a lot about how to approach texts by considering their genre in greater relation to other works/times rather than individually.
I learned how to take a deeper look at latin literature.
two midterms, a presentation, a final , a paper
About a chapter and a half of translation every class, plus secondary source articles (which most people didn't read except whoever happened to be presenting that day). One article presentation, reasonable midterm and final (not cumulative), and one 10-12 page final paper.
A midterm and a final with a quiz every 2-3 weeks. Homework before class tends to be around 50-75 lines of poetry translation (~100-150 a week), which she scales up or down according to the class capability. Grading is fair and allows for more figurative translations. Well within the capabilities of a student who has taken Latin V or the equivalent.
Roman Satire by Juvenal, Persius, Horace, etc.
My Latin skills improved drastically. I feel more comfortable tackling longer works and more confident in my ability to translate more generally. Also, my vocabulary grew quite a bit!
I learned how to examine/discuss a Latin text from both historical and literary standpoints, as well as read Latin first and foremost for analysis rather than translation. I also learned how to sift through the layers of Tacitus' narrative and think about how this relates to history and historiography as a whole.
Professor Jervis is a very friendly and capable teacher. She did very well teaching our small class (7 students). We went over the material (Livy) at just the right pace. She always allowed questions and even amended her syllabus when we complained. We had two midterms, not that bad, and a final. We also did an in class presentation which was fun and had a short paper to write in the end. The material itself is a bit challenging because it is a lot of battlefield description. Book 6 which we did during the second half of the semester is harder than book 1. I would reccomend taking this class especially if it is going to be a small group of students. Jervis is an engaging teacher who knows her stuff but is not intimidating.