Required in stage
First term
Second term
Both terms
This year
Next year
Alternating years
External
Prerequisites
Taught by
Language of instruction
Duration
LevelPost-Classical historical texts in Latin (B-KUL-F0LC4A)
Aims
This course aims at teaching students to read and understand historical
documents in Latin - an essential part of the textual source material
used by historians.
Previous knowledge
A preliminary training in latin (secondary school level) is a prerequisite.
Content
The course starts with a general introduction into the use, function
and evolution of Post-classical Latin, followed by a brief survey of
the various dictionnaries and specific literature concerning Medieval
Latin and Neo-Latin. The main component of this course will be to read
and to comment on a selection of Latin documents from different genres,
dating from the 5th C. until the 20th C. A.D. Apart from learning to
accurately translate these texts, the students will also receive
information concerning the historical context in which these documents
originated and the linguistic particularities of the different types of
Latin. Ultimately, this course tries to show how Post-classical Latin
texts can be valuable sources for the study of history.
Course material
Slides, transparencies, courseware
Toledo / e-platform
Is also included in other courses
- Bachelor of History (Abridged Programme) 97 ects.
- Bachelor of Philosophy (Option: History) 180 ects.
-
Bachelor of History
180 ects.
Activities
4.0 ects. Post-Classical historical texts in Latin (B-KUL-F0LC4a)
Content
After a short theoretical introduction, the accurate translating of Latin texts is discussed, with aid of Latin texts from the 6th to the 20th century. In each text attention is given to the historical contextualization and in which way the text can be used as a source for historical research. In the selection of texts the aim is a maximum form of diversity in the typlogy of the historic sources. Also the language as historic concept is discussed, with attention for the evolution of significations and the philological development of language.
Aims
Study of historical sources in Latin, as an essential part of the textual sourcematerial of a historian.
Description of learning activities
Lectures combined with exercises in the translation of Latin texts. The students also learn to use tools like historic dictionaries. With support via Toledo.
Evaluation
Evaluation : Post-Classical historical texts in Latin (B-KUL-F2LC4a)
Explanation
1. Exam
The students take a written exam. The exam consists of a number of fragments of texts which have to be translated by the student. Some questions about the content are also posed (author, context, type of source,...) and also a number of formal questions (loan words, orthographic differences from Classic Latin,...) will be posed. The exam also tries to determine the knowledge of aids and dictionaries (author, title, date) which make the study of Latin historic texts possible.
2. Half-term test
During the first semester a take-home test will be presented by which the student can test their knowledge of the texts discussed in the course.
