Assignment Sheet for Latin 506 (Cicero)

Autumn Quarter 2005

MW 12:30-2:10, Denny 310

Prof. A.M. Gowing

Denny Hall M-24

Office Hours: Monday 10-11, Tuesday 1:30-2:30, and by appointment

Phone: 543-2270; e-mail: alain@u.washington.edu

Required Texts: A.C. Clark, ed., M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Vol. 4 of the OCT edition of Cicero’s speeches

__________. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Vol. 6 of the OCT edition of Cicero’s speeches

K. Kumaniecki, ed., M. Tulli Ciceronis Scripta Quae Manserunt Omnia. Fasc. 3: De Oratore. Teubner 1998.

May, James M. and J. Wisse, eds. and trans., On the Ideal Orator. Oxford 2001.

Course description: This graduate reading class will feature a reading of selections from Cicero’s De oratore (55 BC) as well as two speeches, the Pro Roscio comoedo (76 BC, pre-consulship) and the Pro Archia (62 BC, post-consulship). In the former, a relatively understudied speech, Cicero defends the famous comic actor Roscius in a private suit; in the latter, a well-known and much discussed speech, Cicero upholds the Greek poet Archias’ claim to Roman citizenship. Although we shall focus on a close and detailed read of Cicero’s Latin (De oratore 1 and the Pro Archia are both on the reading list), an overarching theme of the class will be the relationship between performance and oratory. The De oratore will provide background to this; the two speeches both feature defenses of two men in professions considered closely related to that of the orator as well as showcase Cicero’s own developing sense of how he ‘performs’ oratory. Various translation exercises; short paper (5-10 pages; not a ‘seminar’ paper). Please note that this class is restricted to graduate students.

Course website: http://faculty.washington.edu/alain/LAT506/Lat506home.html (syllabus, bib., and other goodies posted here, including the weekly assignments I'll e-mail to you)

Reserve shelf: Although I have not (yet, anyway...I may eventually) set up a formal reserve shelf in Odegaard, there will be a reserve shelf in the seminar room. I’ll put here photocopies of any readings I ask you to do: you may remove these for photocopying, but please return promptly.

Requirements: 1) general preparedness and participation (15%)

2) a final translation examination constructed along the lines of the doctoral Latin translation exam (35%). NB: this examination is optional for those who have already passed the Latin translation exam. May be taken at any time during exam week.

3) one or two take-home translation exercises (OK, quizzes, if that’s what you want to call them) (30%)

4) short paper (5-10 pages) on a topic of your own choosing….details forthcoming. (20%) Due by Wednesday, Dec. 16 at the latest….earlier submissions happily accepted.

Schedule of readings:

NB: Each week I will send out to the class via e-mail details on the assignment for that week. These will typically include specific passages to prepare for a given class; occasionally issues or questions to ponder while you read and to be addressed in class discussions; and also occasional suggestions for secondary readings, etc. The following is a list of the readings in Cicero we will cover each week.

Week 1 (Sept. 26-Oct. 1; first mtg. Wed., Sept. 28): Introduction

Week 2 (Oct. 2-8): De oratore 1 (102-159 in Latin; rest of Bk. 1 in English)

Week 3 (Oct. 9-15): De oratore 2 (28-40; 77-98; 99-204 in Latin; rest of Bk. 2, up to 204, in English)

Week 4 (Oct. 16-22): De oratore 2 cont’d (204-306 in Latin, remainder of Bk. 2 in English); De oratore 3 (213-230 in Latin; rest of Bk. 3 in English)

Week 5 (Oct. 23-29): Rosc. Com. 1-26

Week 6 (Oct. 30-Nov. 5): Rosc. Com. 27-56

Week 7 (Nov. 6-12): Arch. 1-6

Week 8 (Nov. 13-19): Arch. 7-13

Week 9 (Nov. 20-26): Arch. 14-18

Week 10 (Nov. 27-Dec. 3): Arch. 19-24

Week 11 (Dec. 4-10): Arch. 25-32

Wednesday, Dec. 16: Paper due