FSEM 153   Elementary Latin I

Faculty Profile for Professor Tober

A foreign language is more than just vocabulary; it’s a way of organizing and making sense of the complexity of the world. Latin is a remarkably regular and orderly language, and accordingly students learn the basics of Latin in a regular and orderly way. Learning Latin is highly doable and a lot of fun: it might be the first time that you come to really understand the words you are already speaking and the sentences you are composing. Through this study, you will not only gain access to a major language, which was, like English today, the common language of writers, scientists, and thinkers for centuries, but also acquire key skills to succeed as a student at Colgate: you will learn to think more clearly, write more precisely, understand English and other languages to a new depth, and develop your time management and study skills. Within a few weeks, moreover, you will be able to read selections from real Latin authors and gain the tools to access a whole world of history and culture. No prior knowledge of Latin is assumed. Latin is especially relevant for careers in medicine, law, politics, and creative and non-fiction writing. Taking this course will partially qualify you for any Extended Study courses in Italy that the Department of the Classics may offer in the future. Students who successfully complete this seminar will earn credit for LATN 121 and satisfy one half of the human thought and expression areas of inquiry requirement.

Daniel Tober teaches ancient history and Greek and Latin language and literature in the Department of the Classics. His research focuses on Greek historiography in particular in the Hellenistic period. Elementary Latin is one of his favorite courses to teach.