Latin Language and Literature

Nemo nascitur sapiens, sed fit. No one is born to be wise, but will become. Seneca

Degree programme objectives

The Master’s degree study programme of Latin Language and Literature in the module of main study programme (major), or single-subject degree (completus), leads to further in-depth knowledge and extension of linguistic competences. Its focus is laid on gaining an undestanding of theoretical and methodological approaches used in philology. In contrast to the Bachelor’s study programme, concentrated prevalently on Classical Latin, this study programme provides students with a complex perspective on particular stages of development of Latin language from the oldest archaic epigraphical evidence to the Late Latin period with an outlook on further fortunes of the Latin language up to the period of humanism. The study programme deepens student's knowledge of ancient literature concerning both the characteristics of the style of significant Roman authors and the development of particular literary genres, focusing mainly on the literature of Late antiquity. It sets thus the knowledge of the ancient world in a broader context and shows the significance of Latin for the formation of European culture and erudition. The minor module of the Master’s programme is primarily designed for those students, who want to continue with studies of Latin language, because they study one of those study programmes, where Latin is one of the source languages. It may as well serve as a complement to study programme of Medieval Latin Language and Literature. The minor module enables students to deepen their knowledge of the development of the Latin language and literature and of the sociocultural background of the ancient world. This knowledge relates to the main chosen study programme and supplements it. Reading texts in their original language represents an essential part of all study plans, because it enables students to adopt the competence in multi-level reading of the original texts (grammatical, literary, and socio-historical). Equally important is reading works of ancient authors in translation.

Study plans

Latin language and literature

full-time, single-subject

Latin language and literature

full-time, minor

Latin Language and Literature

full-time, major

Studies

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Objectives
The Master’s degree study programme of Latin Language and Literature in the module of main study programme (major), or single-subject degree (completus), leads to further in-depth knowledge and extension of linguistic competences. Its focus is laid on gaining an undestanding of theoretical and methodological approaches used in philology. In contrast to the Bachelor’s study programme, concentrated prevalently on Classical Latin, this study programme provides students with a complex perspective on particular stages of development of Latin language from the oldest archaic epigraphical evidence to the Late Latin period with an outlook on further fortunes of the Latin language up to the period of humanism. The study programme deepens student's knowledge of ancient literature concerning both the characteristics of the style of significant Roman authors and the development of particular literary genres, focusing mainly on the literature of Late antiquity. It sets thus the knowledge of the ancient world in a broader context and shows the significance of Latin for the formation of European culture and erudition. The minor module of the Master’s programme is primarily designed for those students, who want to continue with studies of Latin language, because they study one of those study programmes, where Latin is one of the source languages. It may as well serve as a complement to study programme of Medieval Latin Language and Literature. The minor module enables students to deepen their knowledge of the development of the Latin language and literature and of the sociocultural background of the ancient world. This knowledge relates to the main chosen study programme and supplements it. Reading texts in their original language represents an essential part of all study plans, because it enables students to adopt the competence in multi-level reading of the original texts (grammatical, literary, and socio-historical). Equally important is reading works of ancient authors in translation.
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:
- describe the phonological and morphological development of Latin from the archaic period up to late antiquity or up tp the end of the Middle Ages, as the case may be
- employ selected theoretical approaches in Latin texts; compare the grammar of Classical Latin with some aspects of old, vulgar and late Latin
- illustrate the main features of ancient and late Latin literature, its genre stratification and its development towards Middle Ages
- outline the historical, philosophical, and religious backgrounds of the development of the society in antiquity
- translate more complicated Latin prose and poetic texts into Czech language (Tacitus, Seneca, Pliny, Apuleius, Horace, Lucretius, Plautus, Propertius, Tibullus, Catullus, Martial, Augustine)
- critically interpret selected original Latin texts
- describe the main features of the prosody of classical and mediaeval poetry and read selected types of more complicated metres
- explicate the particularities of reception of antiquity in medieval literature and describe the genre map of mediaeval literature
- work with scholarly literature written in foreign languages, with electronic databases, and with various sources of information
- write a long structured text on scholarly topics
Occupational Profiles of Graduates
Graduates are qualified to work in various cultural Institutions such as archives, libraries, and museums and at some faculties (faculty of Arts, Theology, and Medicine) and in humanities-oriented departments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in positions appropriate for the Master's degree. Graduates can handle specialized and language-focused tasks (proofreading) in publishing houses or in all the media. The knowledge acquired by the study of the ancient world and Latin erudition/culture leads to a better orientation in the majority fields of European culture and scholarship. Graduates are able to search for different types of information sources, assess them critically, and use them appropriately. These skills will allow them to adapt to the changing requirements of the labour market.
Goals of Theses
A standard length of a Master’s thesis is 140,000 characters including footnotes, content, index, bibliography, and annotations. Student chooses the subject of the thesis according to his/her own preferences, either from the list of topics already available in the Information system or after a discussion with the potential supervisor. The Master's thesis demonstrates that the student is knowledgeable about both domestic and in particular foreign scholarly literature written on the subject and that he/ she is able to assess the texts critically. In the thesis, the student should apply modern and relevant theories and methods, show his/her ability to work with Latin primary sources, and to formulate and defend his/her own conclusions.
Access to Further Studies
After completion of the Master’s degree study programme, graduates can continue further studies in any doctoral degree study programme provided that they meet the admission requirements. At the Department of Classical Studies, it is possible to study for a doctoral degree in Classical Philology (focusing on language and literature from the very beginning up to the first centuries AD) or in Medieval Latin Language and Literature (focusing mainly on medieval literature written in Latin and production of critical editions).