Latin 380M (Passion(s) in Ovid)
- Spring 2016 – Starks, Binghamton University SUNY
Requirements, Grading, Assignment Descriptions, and other Essentials
Required Texts:
Dunmore, C. W., ed. Selections
from Ovid.
Focus Reprints, 1962, 2003.
Fantham, Elaine. OvidŐs
Metamorphoses. Oxford Approaches to Classical
Literature, 2004.
Ovid. Metamorphoses,
tr. Stanley Lombardo. Hackett, 2010.
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you buy a good, comprehensive dictionary, if you do
not already have one. The Oxford Desk Dictionary is a good basic dictionary,
better than the paperbacks, for quick reference. You should consider getting
one of the two Latin dictionaries that include citations for usage by
particular Latin authors, Cassell's Latin Dictionary
(the hardback, not the paperback) or the Oxford Elementary Latin Dictionary by
Lewis (of Lewis and Short).
Course Requirements and Rules:
Exams: 2 term exams on material covered prior to that point in class. Sight passages and seen passages for translation will both appear on these along with content, style and scansion questions.
Oral Reports:
Each student will deliver 3 oral
reports as follows:
1) A summary of content and
style on one other amatory work of Ovid plus at least one of the Heroides (3
students may report on the 3 sets of responsive letters in the collection).
You need to be able to reduce these down to the essentials for your audience,
especially in your search to express the variations in OvidŐs methodologies for
presenting eroticism and passion in varied diction, as well as narrative and
thematic structure. These are NOT comprehensive reports (you cannot cover
everything), but strong summaries with proper examples from the text that give
your classmates a sense of what else appears in the Ovidian
corpus. Handouts/instructive powerpoints or other
online media formats to be shared with the entire class are encouraged
2) Choose and read a modern
scholarly article or chapter in a book on subject matter related to OvidŐs Metamorphoses
and report to the class on the author's argument, evidence, and conclusions,
NOT on the student's opinion of whether s/he agreed with the author. You may
use any of the databases available through the library under Classical Studies,
but the most useful will be LŐAnnee Philologique – IŐll show you how to use this.
Handouts are recommended for the
first two reports.
3) You will find at least 2
visual or musical art works or a single significant example of performative arts, such as drama, dance, etc (ancient or modern) on the same Greek or Roman
mythological character(s) from OvidŐs Metamorphoses that interest/s you.
This should be on a theme we have not covered in the Latin readings in class,
so you should look through the table of contents of your translation for Ovid
myths and read his version carefully. You should produce a power point or
similar visual/aural medium containing clear images/recording of the art works
for presentation in class, which might include offering shots of details.
YouTube is an acceptable medium, but be prepared to show excerpts without too
much jostling between sites. Then discuss in a 2-3 page paper how each artist
conceives the story, how s/he uses images, colors, texture, fabric, body
language, placement, or any other artistic methods to convey a new approach to
the characters or to reflect on important elements of the myth. Remember that
artists can retell the myth for quite different purposes than the ancient
authors. Be sure to discuss such departures from the version you read and try
to find as much information you can about what the author was trying to express
through the artwork and the myth.
These reports will be 10-15
minutes or less, fairly STRICTLY OBSERVED on the dates marked on the syllabus.
KNOW how to summarize. A double-spaced page of average font takes most readers
2.5 minutes to read, so bullet-point style notes inevitably cause most people
to run over.
These oral presentations are designed to help improve your
oral and writing skills and allow you ample opportunity to improve and expand
your oral presentation methods, and writing for that oral/aural context, an
important skill for anyone who may present public material at a conference, in
a business meeting, or as a teacher. You may use any combination of
audio-visual aids that might best suit you, or you may experiment with
different methods each time you present. Reports can be interactive, not just
lectures. You may design projects that include your fellow-students, so long as
you keep them informed of what you are doing. Feel free to consult with me
about your needs for the classroom presentations and approaches you would like
to try. If you plan to use A-V be sure you have practiced with it before the
time of your presentation. It will eat into your time.
Class Participation: ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. You will receive a daily grade for participation in class that suggests your level of preparation on material covered (A, B, C, D or 0) and your involvement in class activities. Participation includes questions, exchange of ideas, and responses to directed or general questions from the instructor or other discussion leader. An absence from class for ANY REASON must be counted as a 0 since you cannot participate if you are absent. Two (2) absences will be dropped, no questions asked, at the end of the term allowing 1 week of class days for illness, family matters, etc. In general, I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences for purposes of daily participation grades, but PLEASE always contact me by email or phone before class if you MUST be absent on a given day. If absence should be unavoidable, we could probably assess your preparation of material through other means, and in any case, I want to know when and why you need to miss class.
Recitation: As this is a course in Latin poetry and as an advanced Latin
student you should be working on your oral proficiency with the language, you
will choose a passage of about 10 lines from Ovid to read to me during the last
week of classes on Reading Day, Thursday May 12. You will not have to memorize
the passage, but you should show strong awareness of proper pronunciation, the
meaning of the lines, and a proper tone that conveys that meaning to a
listener. I will be glad to help you with any pronunciation issues and
discussion of tone. You will be allowed two opportunities to read these lines
aloud to me. I will give you credit for the better of two readings, though I
have found for most people, the second run is more easy-going and feels better.
Paper: Because Ovid is a core author in Latin literature, and as an
advanced Latin student you need opportunities to practice scholarly and
analytical writing, you will be required to write a significant term paper (c. 10-12
pages, 1.5 spacing, 12 pt Times New Roman - length is
negotiable, since there are some, though few, important topics that can be
dealt with in a short format, and some studies may need more than 12 pages)
using OvidŐs Metamorphoses as a major part of your investigation. You
will need to do significant scholarly research of a somewhat original nature,
using several ancient and modern scholarly sources. You will submit a
prospectus outlining your idea, the need for further investigation into this
idea, and a sampling of the evidence you think warrants this investigation with
a working bibliography of ancient and modern sources to be addressed. This need
not be a complete examination of the idea, but a sign that you have looked into
it well enough to warrant the study. This written prospectus will be submitted
by the time and date on the syllabus in a hard copy format. When I have
examined your prospectus, I will return it with some comments.
Students
taking their first advanced Latin language course or
writing their first paper on Latin literary studies will be given special
consideration on the evaluation of their work. This is a learning exercise, not
a frightening leap into the Ôdeep end of the pool before you learn to swim,Ő
and I know you all know how to swim.
The
final paper will be due by the end of the Exam period as noted on the syllabus.
You are free to submit drafts for consideration in advance, but give me at
least a week to reply.
Grade Distribution:
38% = Average of Two Term Exams
20% = Final Research Paper
17% = Reports: 5% on Ovid and Article Reports, 7% on Art Report
23% = Participation/Preparation
2% = Recitation
I must insist on a firm grade scale as
follows: 97-100 A+, 93-96 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B- and so on
for each grade tier I especially reserve the right to consider borderline
grades as falling on either side of the divide that seems most appropriate
given all grading circumstances (i.e., a 92.5 or even a 92.9 cannot
automatically be assumed to round up, though I may decide that a student's
overall performance may warrant such rounding). Consult me about your progress
in seemingly nebulous areas such as class participation, etc.
Other Expectations:
You are
reminded that your IN-CLASS time per week is 3 hours, and that you receive 4
credit hours for the work you do in this course. Credit hours awarded recognize
the rigor of your coursework inside AND OUTSIDE
the classroom,. Your reading,
writing, translation, oral presentation preparation, and critical thinking
should amount to at least triple the
amount of time you spend INSIDE the classroom, on average an additional 9-10
hours per week. That means you are expected to fulfill a minimum average of
12-13 hours of work per course, per week.
Suggestions for Success:
1) ALL written work to be turned in
for a grade must be pledged with an affirmation of your adherence to the
Student Academic Honesty Code as described at
this site.
2) Make sure that you regularly consult your binghamton.edu
email and Blackboard, as these are the most efficient ways for me to
disseminate information to everyone enrolled in this class.
3) My only real pet peeves in classroom demeanor are cell
phones and other devices used to access social networking sites (turn them
off), chronic tardiness, sleeping in class, and not informing me and others
affected if you have a schedule problem.
4) I guess the next closest thing to a peeve is my
frustration with being unable to read the minds of completely silent
students. Part of the joy of studying Latin at a more advanced level is
sharing what you think about it - whether good or bad. There's always something
that deserves discussion, and the whole class can benefit from your insights.
And (this is the lesson I've had to learn over time), if you're a natural
talker, know when to balance your contribution with that of those around you.
Be sensitive to the silences that sometimes occur - someone may be thinking
deeply. I have toyed with the idea of using other media to help out those who
are more inclined to silence, but I continue to believe that oral human
communication is a most valuable gift and tool for all aspects of modern life,
just as it was for the even more orally oriented cultures of the ancient world.
5) Keep on your syllabus. This class will allow little time
for catching up if you fall behind. The syllabus daily assignments are a
guide and a goal. If you find yourself unable to get through the assigned
readings and exercises, let's discuss it as a group or individually - work with
others, divide the load and then make sure you teach each other. I prefer to
have a plan, and try to find the best way to get there. CHECK YOUR SYLLABUS
FREQUENTLY FOR ANY CHANGES I MAY NEED TO MAKE ALONG THE WAY.
6) Bring all the appropriate books and/or printouts of
online texts each day they are required by the syllabus – NOTE THE
TEXTBOOK PROVISO ABOVE. DO NOT bring your written translations into class with
you and read from them (I had to be broken from this habit first term freshman
year by being called down in class. It worked). Show that you understand what
you read or that you have questions about what you read, and don't mark up your
original texts too badly - keep it clean. Make vocabulary and grammar notes
while you read, and you can bring that to class with you if necessary.
Rereading through an assignment shortly after leaving class is the absolute
best way to see if you really understood what was going on with the changes
suggested there. Nothing is worse than recalling the incorrect interpretation
that you worked so hard on before class better than the corrected
interpretation or deeper interpretation that you take away after class simply
because you spent so much more time on the former and not enough time on the
latter.
____ * Binghamton U Classics Department Corollary to Starks Suggestion 6: You
have probably figured out that someone else has already translated many
passages you are translating for class, such as Stanley Lombardo and A.S.
Kline. There are two useful and honorable ways to use someone elseŐs
translation:
a) Read the entire work in English, including the parts we donŐt cover in
class, to have a fuller understanding of the context for your passages.
b) After working on a translation on your own, with all the help that dictionaries,
commentaries, grammars, and your own good sense can provide, if you get stuck
on a sentence, you may refer to a translation to get a sense of what the
sentence says and to get unstuck. Then you must put away the translation and
translate the sentence yourself to guarantee that you understand the grammar
and syntax, especially since most translations are not written to help you get
through the assignment. Ideally, you will not use someone elseŐs translation at
all. But I would much rather you do so very occasionally than have you get
frustrated or spend a whole evening on one sentence.
7) Extra Credit
- fuhgedaboutit!! (Someone burned me long ago abusing
extra credit. I'm afraid there is no antidote for my allergic reaction to
requests for extra credit). On the other hand, you get personal extra credit
for every thing you learn above and beyond the call of absolute duty, so look
at the bigger picture.
8) Final Grades are an assessment of your whole performance.
I like to create many components to a grade as an evaluation of a complete
student. I tend not to curve (unless something is clearly wrong with the
grading apparatus) in order to preserve my overall sense of student performance
and aptitude for the assignment of the more important final grade. I do
consider improvements in problem areas as part of what shows your increased
aptitude.
9) Enjoy learning Latin. Let's make our time in class
productive, but also, as often as possible, interesting, enjoyable and thought-
provoking. We will talk frequently about the way Romans (and sometimes Greeks)
thought and lived to try to understand what they are saying to us. We will not
sit in a dull translation session 2 days per week. We will change exercises and
engage in discussion of ideas often.
Pursuant to this end, please feel free within reason
to bring coffee or other legal stimulants for our meetings - we will agree to
meet in locations other than the room when weather and lesson needs permit -
Latin and Greek schools often met in a stoa/basilica
or under a tree, in the open air - we should do no less, though the need for
internet may bind us to the room rather frequently.
10) One day there may be a suggestion 10, but right now, I
don't have one and there were 9 Muses, so we will leave an ennead of sage
Starks suggestions for student success - maybe suggestion 10 should be to
practice saying that 10 times fast.