Greek History from the Bronze Age through the Death of Alexander: It is customary to divide Greek history into the prehistoric and historic periods with the break coming at 776 B.C.E., the date of the first Olympic Games and the era immediately following the writing of the Homeric epics. The course initially will focus on the former period with a concentration on the Mycenaean and Minoan cultures. The latter period will include as its nucleus characters and events whose presence contributed to both the Golden Age of Greece and the Hellenistic period culminating in the death of Alexander the Great.

Beginning with the Greek alphabet, the student gradually gains sufficient fluency to translate first sentences, then paragraphs of Greek prose. Grammar, inflection, and vocabulary are emphasized to provide a secure base for reading selected passages from ancient Greek authors.

The vast variety of writings left by authors of both the Golden and Silver Ages of Latin literature provide unlimited material for study. This course will focus on three or four examples each year who are representative of the classics as the literary ancestors and models of modern European and English literature. Students will be asked not only to extract the essence of thought contained in each chosen Latin masterpiece but also to appreciate the artistic qualities that make it a work of enduring worth and a source of enjoyment. Since the authors taught will vary annually, this course may be repeated for credit.

Prose composition and Ovid are the mainstays of the Latin III program. After spending the first four cycles of the year reviewing morphology and syntax, students read selections from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” Students translate literally into English, demonstrate a mastery of grammatical structures and vocabulary, analyze, interpret, and discuss these selections. Stylistic analysis and interpretation are integral parts of this course and develop from a student’s ability to read the Latin in the original. Longer prose compositions will continue to reinforce understanding of morphology and syntax.

Students gain appreciation of literature, both poetry and prose, as a work of art through their study of Vergil’s “Aeneid” and Caesar’s “Gallic War.” To accomplish this, they must develop their abilities (a) to translate, to read, and to comprehend Latin through mastery of vocabulary, morphology, and syntax, (b) to read Latin aloud with attention to linguistic, artistic, and metrical qualities, (c) to understand the interaction of the works with references to Roman culture, history, and mythology and to discuss with understanding the image of Roman identity that the texts project, (d) to identify and to elucidate an author’s use of stylistic features and rhetorical strategies, (e) to demonstrate and to share their understanding of the texts, and (f) to develop skills and strategies to succeed on the Advanced Placement exam.