HISTORY OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE

The outcome of this training activity is the detailed knowledge of a selection of texts in the original language studied from a historical-linguistic point of view. This involves the ability to read, understand, translate into Italian and comment on the linguistic and historical-linguistic level the texts covered during the course, to argue independently on them in the light of the analyses proposed by the teacher and the general framework of the linguistic history of Latin learned above all from the accompanying bibliography.
Already equipped with linguistic skills of at least an intermediate level, the student should also acquire from the course a greater knowledge of the Latin language, now also approached from the point of view of historical grammar, a broader set of general linguistic knowledge and, also thanks to the independent reading exercise included in the exam program, a more secure ability to translate from Latin into Italian; at the same time, the study of the bibliography should refine his knowledge of the categories, concepts and vocabulary of historical-linguistic research.

The course will be dedicated to the historical-linguistic analysis of the Caesarian corpus, from the authentic ones ("Gallicum" libri 1-7, "Civile") to those of uncertain authorship ("Gallicum" libro 8, "Alexandrinum", "Africum", "Hispaniense"). With an eminently synchronic approach, a selection of Caesarian and pseudo-Caesarian texts will be read to comment on their linguistic facies: especially on the lexical and syntactic levels, Caesar's own puritas will be contrasted with the degradation of the "Bellum Hispaniense" and the eccentricities of the "Bellum Africum". This will allow us to appreciate an enormous variety of linguistic registers and to compare failed attempts to write good Latin in the manner of Caesar, or simply with works without particular pretensions, little more than diary notes that have been included in the corpus for reasons of historical completeness.

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