LATIN COURSES (upper level) at Ave Maria University, Fall Semester 2012
Instructor: Dr. Bradley Ritter
Meeting Times: T-Th 10:10-11:50AM
Description: LATN 203 is for those students who found both success and enjoyment in their Core Latin classes (LATN 101/102). One need not have absolute mastery of every last concept in LATN 101/102 in order to proceed to LATN 203. But if you earned an A or a high B in LATN 102, you are probably prepared for this class. This class has three purposes: (a) to solidify what you learned in LATN 101/102; (b) to learn the remaining forms and constructions, particularly the subjunctive; (c) to begin reading selections from various genres and authors of Latin literature, such as fables, philosophy, history, epistles, Cicero, and the Bible.
LATN 304 - Latin Church Fathers
Instructor: Dr. Thomas Scheck
Description: This course presents guided readings of Latin texts focusing on the Latin Church Father, St. Jerome (347- 420). Jerome’s exegesis of Scripture will be studied in tandem with texts from one of the chief sources of Jerome’s exegesis, Origen of Alexandria (185-254). The material from Origen is originally Greek exegesis that was translated into Latin by Jerome and Rufinus. Selections from Jerome’s OT and NT commentaries will feature prominently in the course. We will also consider St. Jerome’s legacy in the Catholic Church and conclude the course by engaging the “Jerome Renaissance” that was inaugurated in the 16th century by the theological works of Erasmus of Rotterdam (d. 1536). One of the goals of the course is to help the student appreciate Origen’s significant legacy in the Catholic exegetical and spiritual tradition. Among the topics covered are: principles of Christian exegesis of the Old and New Testaments; application of these principles to the interpretation of the Gospels, to St. Paul’s writings and to the Old Testament Prophets; the literal and allegorical meaning of Scripture; the ancient conception of heresy, orthodoxy and schism; the ideals of asceticism, martyrdom and spiritual life.
LATN 415 (PHIL 415.03) - Latin Special Topics: Cicero’s De finibus
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Yarbrough
Description: While Cicero was not a great philosopher in his own right, his philosophical writings are an extremely important source in the study of various schools of Hellenistic philosophy. In examining Cicero’s De finibus bonorum et malorum (On Ethical Ends), we will focus on the first and third books which present the Epicurean and the Stoic conceptions of ethics. Our goals in this course are (1) to read a substantial amount of Cicero’s philosophical prose with precision and a clear understanding of the grammar and vocabulary and (2) to gain a thorough acquaintance with the ethical systems of the Epicureans and the Stoics, not only through Cicero’s text, but also by the reading of other authors, ancient and contemporary.
GREEK COURSES at Ave Maria University, Fall Semester 2012
Do you desire:
to encounter the riches of the New Testament, or of Plato, Aristotle, and Homer in the original Greek?
to learn the language of politics, philosophy, and scientific inquiry?
to study the Parthenon, the battle of Thermopylae, the Hippocratic Oath, Socrates, Aeschylus, et al?
to encounter the riches of the Greek Fathers of the Church: St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Irenaeus, St. Polycarp, et al?
to acquaint yourself with the roots of many English words, especially scientific terminology?
Then consider taking GREEK next year at Ave Maria University.
Now is the time to learn Greek! You will cherish this treasure for the rest of your life.
“This great inheritance [the literary monuments of ancient Greece] I will compare to a limpid spring of undefiled water; it behoves all who are thirsty to drink and be restored” (Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1512 [cited in S. Goldhill, Who Needs Greek).
“To read the Greek and Latin authors in their original is a sublime luxury … I thank on my knees him who directed my early education for having in my possession this rich source of delight.” (Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Priestley, 1800).
“Philosophy speaks Greek” (Emmanuel Levinas, 1982).
“The encounter between the Biblical message and Greek thought did not happen by chance” (Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg, Sept 12, 2006).
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Dinan
Description: GREK 103 provides an introduction to the ancient Greek language. We follow the “natural” approach, similar to what one finds in Hans Ørberg’s Lingua Latina. We begin in August with the alphabet and conclude in December with the Battle of Thermopylae. Along the way we read passages from the Gospel of Luke, the lyric poets, and comedy. We pause to consider important aspects of Greek culture, such as the origins of democracy, Greek mythology, the position of women in Greek culture, and Greek science and medicine.
GREK 203 - Greek Readings
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Dinan
Description: GREK 203 is the reward for your diligent efforts in GREK 103 and 104! Here you solidify, organize, and practice what you learned the previous year; you learn the few remaining concepts and forms not yet encountered; you cultivate the art of sight-reading original Greek texts; and you acquire the skills and habits necessary to analyze original Greek works. Class is devoted to three projects: a) daily readings from the New Testament; b) composition in Greek; c) the study of one of Plato’s dialogues and a speech by one of the Attic orators. At the end of this class, students typically are prepared to encounter the various genres and authors, from Homer to the Greek Fathers of the Church.
GREK 415 (PHIL 415.02) - Greek Special Topics: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
Instructor: Dr. Michael Pakaluk
Meeting times to be determined
Description: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle is one of the great masterpieces of philosophy and a crucial text both in the Ave Maria Core Curriculum and in the Catholic intellectual tradition. In this course we read selections in Greek of all of the most important passages in that work, including Aristotle’s discussion of happiness; the doctrine of the mean; the voluntary and involuntary in human action; the virtues of courage and moderation; the virtue of magnanimity; the types of friendship and the idea that a friend is another self; and the types of pleasure. Students will be encouraged to continue to develop skills of accurate translation and familiarity with textual criticism. Close attention will be given to the relationship between Aristotle’s expression in Greek and the philosophical ideas he wishes to convey.