Description and Objectives

In this class, we will read the fables of Phaedrus. A freedman in the court of the Emperor Augustus, Phaedrus is noted for having translated massive amounts of the Greek canon of fables into Latin poetry. Given their familiar subject matter, they serve as an excellent venture into the world of Latin verse.

Textbooks

The instructor will provide a copy of all fables.

Course Requirements

Students will be required to translate both in class and at home. They will be expected to be comfortable with both previously seen and unseen passages. Upon learning to do so, they will be expected to read poetry out loud, in meter. They will have multiple quizzes each week, as well as longer-form tests.

Successful Students

Successful students will be those who read Latin each and every day. They will ask questions about grammar and syntax when they are puzzled. They will devote time to their homework readings and to vocabulary study. They will pay attention to all class readings, even those translated by other classmates.