Unit CULTURE AND LATIN LITERATURE
- Course
- Cultural heritage
- Study-unit Code
- 35990206
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Alessandra Di Pilla
- Teachers
-
- Alessandra Di Pilla
- Hours
- 48 ore - Alessandra Di Pilla
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2026
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Civiltà antiche e medievali
- Sector
- LATI-01/A
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- LECTURES (36 hours).
Part I (18 hours): Latin literature and its major authors, from the origins to Apuleius (2nd century CE): authors and works, historical and cultural contexts, and literary genres.
For selected authors, the overview will be complemented by the reading of significant passages presented with facing-page translations.
For the complete list of authors, see the detailed syllabus.
Part II (18 hours): Introduction to the myth of Orpheus in Greco-Roman culture. The myth of Orpheus in the Augustan Age. Readings from Virgil and Ovid. - Reference texts
- COURSE MATERIALS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
Part I
Textbook: Gian Biagio Conte, Profilo storico della letteratura latina, Le Monnier Università.
Part II
Primary Texts: Virgil, Georgics IV, 385–534 (the epyllion of Aristaeus and Orpheus); Ovid, Metamorphoses X, 1–85, and XI, 1–66 (the myth of Orpheus).
Secondary Readings: Selected scholarly essays on the Orpheus myth.
The assigned passages from Virgil and Ovid, provided with translation and commentary, together with the selected critical readings, will be made available by the teacher and uploaded to the course page on the UniStudium platform.
Working and/or Non-Attending Students
- Working students and students who are unable to attend classes should contact the teacher to obtain the specific examination programme.
Students with Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Differences (SLD)
- Students with disabilities and/or Specific Learning Differences (SLD), as well as students with ADHD or ADD who are officially registered with the University's support services, may request the accommodations provided for by current regulations (e.g. accessible digital versions of textbooks; teaching materials in accessible formats, including presentations, handouts, and exercise materials, supplied in advance of classes when necessary).
For further information and support, students are encouraged to contact the Departmental Disability and Inclusion Representative, Dr Alessandra Di Pilla (alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it). - Educational objectives
- LEARNING OUTCOMES
Positioned in the first year of the programme, this course aims to provide students with a foundational knowledge of Latin literature and to develop their ability to navigate its literary heritage, understood as one of the principal sources of the cultural imagination of the Western tradition.
Following an overview of Latin literature in its historical development and through its major authors, the course will focus on a specific thematic topic explored through guided readings and discussion of selected literary texts.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired:
- A general knowledge of the historical development of Latin literature up to the second century CE, through the study of its major authors, their works, and the principal literary genres.
- Direct engagement with Latin literary texts, read with the support of Italian translations.
SKILLS
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Situate major Latin authors and their works within their historical and cultural contexts and identify their relationship to the relevant literary genres.
- Develop an informed understanding of a specific thematic topic through the guided reading of primary texts and selected scholarly literature. - Prerequisites
- No one.
- Teaching methods
- Teaching Methods
-The course consists of lectures supported by multimedia teaching materials and presentations.
Accessibility and Learning Support
-Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Differences (SLD), ADHD, or ADD who are registered with the University's support services may request the accommodations provided under current regulations. These may include accessible digital versions of textbooks and teaching materials in accessible formats (e.g. presentations, handouts, and exercise materials), which can be made available in advance of classes when necessary.
For further information and support, students should contact the Departmental Disability and Inclusion Representative, Dr Alessandra Di Pilla (alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).
Synchronous Online Attendance
-The University of Perugia allows students in specific categories to apply for access to synchronous online participation in teaching activities. Further information and eligibility requirements are available on the University's website. - Other information
- Course Information and Communication
Students are strongly encouraged to enrol on the course page on the University's e-learning platform at the beginning of the semester.
Students should regularly check their institutional email account and the course announcements section on the e-learning platform for updates, course materials, and important communications.
Students Requiring Accessibility Support
Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Differences (SLD), ADHD, or ADD are encouraged to consult the University's accessibility and inclusion services and to contact the Departmental Disability and Inclusion Representative, Dr Alessandra Di Pilla (alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it), for information about available support and accommodations. - Learning verification modality
- Type of Assessment: Single final oral examination.
Assessment Objectives
The examination is designed to assess:
- Knowledge of the authors and works of Latin literature included in the course programme.
- The ability to place authors and texts within their historical, cultural, and literary contexts.
- Familiarity with the passages discussed during the course and the ability to use them as evidence in support of broader literary and historical discussions.
Examination Format
The assessment consists of an oral interview, normally including at least two open-ended questions on authors and works covered in the course, with possible reference to the texts and passages examined during lectures.
Duration
The oral examination typically lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Grading
The final mark is awarded on the Italian grading scale of 18–30/30, with the possibility of lode (honours). The overall grade is based on the quality and accuracy of the candidate's responses throughout the examination.
Students Requiring Accessibility Support
Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Differences (SLD), ADHD, or ADD who are registered with the University's support services may request the accommodations, assistive technologies, and alternative assessment arrangements provided under current regulations. Students wishing to make use of these provisions should contact the Departmental Disability and Inclusion Representative, Dr Alessandra Di Pilla (alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it), well in advance of the examination. - Extended program
- LECTURES (36 hours)
Part I (18 hours)
Latin Literature: Major Authors from the Origins to Apuleius (2nd century CE)
The following authors and topics are required for the examination and will be covered through lectures and independent study of the prescribed textbook:
Early and Middle Republic:
The beginnings of Latin literature (Livius Andronicus and Naevius).
Comic drama (Plautus and Terence); overview of Roman tragedy.
Ennius.
Cato the Elder.
Late Republic:
Lucretius.
Catullus and the poetae novi.
Cicero.
Caesar.
Sallust.
Augustan Age:
Virgil.
Horace.
Elegiac poetry (Propertius).
Ovid.
Livy.
Early Imperial Period:
The Neronian Age (Seneca, Lucan, and Petronius).
The Flavian Age (Martial and Quintilian).
Tacitus.
Suetonius.
Apuleius.
Required Textbook:
Conte, Gian Biagio. Profilo storico della letteratura latina. Florence: Le Monnier Università.
Part II (18 hours):
The Myth of Orpheus in the Augustan Age: Readings from Virgil and Ovid
Following an introduction to the myth of Orpheus in Greco-Roman culture, students will engage in guided reading, translation, and commentary of the following texts:
Virgil, Georgics IV, 385–534 (the epyllion of Aristaeus and Orpheus).
Ovid, Metamorphoses X, 1–85; XI, 1–66 (the myth of Orpheus).
Course Materials
The assigned passages from Virgil and Ovid, together with translations and commentary, will be provided by the teacher and made available on the course page of the UniStudium platform.
Selected scholarly essays on the Orpheus myth and its literary reception will also form part of the syllabus. These readings will be provided by the teacher and uploaded to the same platform for independent study. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- Target 4.