Latin IV AP Vergil Syllabus
Overview:
Congratulations, and welcome to Advanced Placement Vergil. This is a comprehensive college course which
focuses on one of the greatest masterpieces of literature ever written, Vergil’s Aeneid. The story of Aeneas is a
story of love, sacrifice, tragedy, war, fate, suffering, family, religion, and duty, among other themes. It was an
essential part of the Roman identity and the Roman world; yet also it resonates profoundly with our own modern
times. As Robert Fitzgerald states, reading the Aeneid is more than just an experience in reading literature; it is an
experience that is shaped by and in turn shapes our own lives and the world in which we live. This was true for the
Romans, and it is true for the modern reader.
Synopsis
The primary focus of this course is a comprehensive literal translation of Vergil’s Aeneid in its original Latin.
Grammar, vocabulary, history, culture, modern applications, and mythology will all be keyed to our study of Vergil.
Metrics, poetics, rhetoric, analysis and interpretation will all be heavily emphasized.
Materials Needed:
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at least 4 composition books
loose leaf paper
3 ring binder
pencils and pens
Boyd, Barbara. Vergil’s Aeneid: Selections from Books 1, 2, 6, 10, and 12. Bolchazy-Carducci, 2004.
Vergil. The Aeneid. Transl. Robert Fitzgerald. Everyman’s Library, 1992.
Grading
Grades in this class are generally cumulative.
e.g. If a homework assignment is worth 10 points, a test worth 90 points, and a project worth 100 points and a
student scores the following:
9/10 on the homework, 85/90 on the test, and 90/100 on the project
their grade is... 9+85+90 = 184 out of 200 available points, which is 92%
Assessments may include, but are not limited to: homework assignments, notebook checks, quizzes, tests,
projects, and formal writing assignments. Total available points per marking period is c. 600. Extra credit
assignments are occasionally assigned by the teacher. Students are expected to act with integrity. Academic
dishonesty will result in a loss of credit, both in regards to the assignment and a forfeiture of all extra credit.
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Homework
o Students are expected to stay ahead of the class reading, providing a 4 line translation (q.v. below) for every
required passage of the Aeneid (the Boyd text in its entirety). Because class participation requires this to be
prepared in advance, a failure to have completed (or to have brought) the required 4 line translation to
class on the day in which we are reading it will result in a 0 averaged into the students’ overall grade which
is unredeemable. I will post online indicators as to how far students should have translated by certain dates.
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1st line: 1 complete line of Latin from the Aeneid written out and scanned. You must fit each Latin
line on one composition notebook line. You should number every 5th line for easy reference.
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2nd line: write the English meaning of any words you do not know off the top of your head directly
below the corresponding Latin word.
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3rd line: Here, provide an English translation of the passage using correct English punctuation,
phrasing, etc.. Give as literal a translation as possible. An English translation will be provided for
you to help you sort out difficult grammatical structures. But a direct plagiarism of this English
translation as your own translation is not acceptable. Remember, any published translation is not
word for word exactly what the Latin says. You have to know word for word what the Latin says.
Translators also sometimes use loose, interpretive, or fanciful translations and word definitions.
You must provide the most literal definition of every word. Also, try to line up your English
translation as best as possible with its corresponding Latin above. You will not always be able to do
this perfectly as many times you will have to jump around in the Latin to provide a sensible English
translation. N.B. that your English translation will often times be longer than its corresponding
Latin. You may want to leave some room at the bottom of every page to provide space for this
difference.
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4th line: Leave blank to provide space for corrections.
o Normal homework assignments (other than the translation) may be given periodically with established due
dates. Again, because completion of these assignments are required for class participation, no late work will
be accepted.
o Major projects and essays may be assigned. Students who fail to turn these assignments in on time will be
penalized. A failure to turn these assignments in by the end of a grading cycle will result in a grade of 0.
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Most of these assignments will be in the form of expository essays. Some of these essays will be
drawn directly from previous AP exams.
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Shorter essays will also from time to time be completed in class, or as part of the comprehension
questions about the selection we are covering on a given day.
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A major literary thesis will be assigned later this year (before the AP exam) which will require
extensive primary and secondary source research.
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A major choice board project focusing on the relevance of the Aeneid in modern times will be
undertaken after the AP exam.
Classwork – students are expected to complete all classwork in class. Classwork will often consist of a series of
questions directed at the passage we are focusing on from the Aeneid. Types of questions which will be asked on
every passage will include: comprehension questions, questions dealing with interpretation and analysis, questions on
rhetorical devices, and questions on discrete grammatical elements. These assignments will often be handed in and
scored. All classwork, homework, projects, translations, tests, and other class materials must be kept in a
chronological and organized fashion in a 3 ring binder, or in composition notebooks. Loss of class materials will
negatively impact students’ grades.
Quizzes and Tests
o At most, every week translation quizzes will be administered, covering the lines we have read in class during
the week. Students should review the lines we have covered every week. They will be asked to translate
short passages by sight.
o Every other week students will be given passages they have never seen before. They will be asked to sight
read them and answer multiple choice questions. These may be drawn directly from past AP exams. They
may include passages from the Aeneid that will not be covered in class, as well as passages by other
authors, especially Catullus, Ovid, Horace, Caesar, and Cicero.
o Short and long essay quizzes will also be administered periodically.
o A unit test may be given minimally after every book of the Aeneid. Each unit test will include a sight
translation, comprehension, and analysis questions, scansion, and an essay.
o A midterm will be given in this class.
Contact Information and Extra Help
I encourage all parents and students to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns that may arise
throughout the school year.
Mr. Serwicki
e-mail:
phone:
website:
bserwicki@eastauroraschools.org
(716) 687 – 2491 ext. 8145
http://www.eastauroraschools.org/site/default.aspx?DomainID=283
(the website can be accessed via links on the East Aurora HS homepage)
I encourage all students to see me for extra help when working on an assignment, studying for an assessment, or
learning difficult material.
period 7 in B206
after school in B116 or B206
Homework Schedule
q.v. attached schedule
Translations must be in the form of 4 line translations. Scansion is not necessary unless specifically assigned. Each
homework assignment is worth a minimum of 50 points each (non-redeemable with no late work accepted). It will
be checked on the dates listed above. Quizzes will be administered every Friday. Quizzes may take the form of (but
are not limited to): literal translations, short essays, long essays, multiple choice questions about passages (some
sight read). Brief homework assignments may be added from time to time.