Higher Latin SQA

This subject is broken down into 49 topics in 3 modules:

  1. Literary Appreciation 5 topics
  2. Translating: Accidence 23 topics
  3. Translating: Syntax 21 topics
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This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Latin

Literary Appreciation

Catullus: Poems (Selections)

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Catullus: Poems (Selections)

Overview of Catullus: Poems (Selections)

  • Gaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet from the late Roman Republic era, approximately 84 – 54 BC.
  • Considered one of Rome's most outstanding poets, he is known for his personal and emotive poems.
  • His work covered many themes such as love, friendship, poetic rivalry, and the corrupt Roman society of his time.
  • He invented the Lesbia poems, which chronicle his love affair with a woman he calls Lesbia.

Major Themes

  • The series of love poems dedicated to Lesbia (assumed to be the pseudonym for Clodia Metelli) explore intense emotions of love, jealousy, and despair, which were new themes in latin poetry.
  • He also focused on themes like betrayal and lost innocence which are seen in his invective poems.
  • His description of the brother's death in poem 101 is a heartfelt elegy, expressing grief and emotion.

Poetic Style

  • Catullus’ poetry is noted for its direct and vivid language. His expressions were far more personal than what was common in Latin poetry of his time.
  • The poet used a variety of metres, including hendecasyllabic verse and elegiac couplets, indicative of his great technical skill.

Literary Devices

  • Catullus frequently used juxtaposition, a literary device where two contrasting things - ideas, words or sentiments - are placed close together for effect.
  • There are numerous examples of similes and metaphors in his work. For example, in Poem 5, Catullus uses the metaphor of the sun setting and rising to describe his love.
  • Imagery, particularly erotic imagery, is a dominant feature in his love poems.

Significance

  • Catullus' poems had a profound influence on later poets, including Ovid, Horace and Virgil.
  • His incorporation of Greek lyrical poetry elements into Latin marked an important development point in Roman literature.
  • His confessional, personal style of poetry introduced a new level of emotional depth to Latin literature.

Recommended Studies

  • 'Catullus and his World: A Reappraisal' by T.P. Wiseman provides an academic, comprehensive view of Catullus's life and works.
  • 'The Poems of Catullus: A Teaching Text' by Daniel H. Garrison is a helpful guide for understanding and interpreting Catullus's poetry.

Teaching Note: Remember, acquiring a nuanced understanding of Catullus’ poetry involves more than just translating the words. Pay attention to the poet’s creative use of language, his themes and the emotions he tries to evoke. Practice analysing sample poems and discoursing on the humanity and universality of Catullus’ experiences and emotions. Good luck with your review!

Course material for Latin, module Literary Appreciation, topic Catullus: Poems (Selections)

Latin

Translating: Accidence

Infinitive

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Infinitive

Infinitive Form

  • The infinitive is the base form of a Latin verb and translates into English as 'to .....'.
  • Infinitive forms cannot be conjugated, meaning they do not change according to person, number or tense.
  • For example, the infinitive of 'lego' (I read) is 'legere'. So, 'legere' translates as 'to read'.

Uses of Infinitive

  • The infinitive can be used as a noun, typically the subject of a sentence.
  • For instance, 'Vivere est cogitare' translates as 'To live is to think'. 'Vivere' (to live) and 'cogitare' (to think) are both infinitives used as subjects.
  • The infinitive can also be used to express a verb in a generalised fashion or to indicate an action to be performed.
  • The infinitive is often used in indirect statements, where the subject of the infinitive (in accusative case) relates to the main verb. For example, in 'Dicit se studere', 'Dicit' (He says) is the main verb, 'se' (himself) is the subject of the infinitive, and 'studere' (to study) is the infinitive verb.

Tenses of Infinitive

  • In Latin, infinitives have three tenses: present, perfect, and future.
  • Each tense shows a different stage of the action. For instance, 'amare' (to love), 'amavisse' (to have loved), 'amatūrus esse' (to be going to love).

Passive Infinitive

  • Latin infinitives can also be passive, expressing the action being done to the subject.
  • For instance, 'amari' means 'to be loved'.
  • In indirect statements, a passsive infinitive's subject is in the nominative case. For example, 'Dicitur amari', translates to 'He is said to be loved'. 'Dicitur' (he is said) is the main verb, 'amari' (to be loved) is the passive infinitive, and there is an implicit 'he' as the subject of the infinitive.

Deponent Verbs' Infinitive

  • Deponent verbs have only passive forms but with an active meaning in Latin.
  • For example, 'vereri' (to fear). It looks passive but translates with an active meaning.

Course material for Latin, module Translating: Accidence, topic Infinitive

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