Neo-Latin sources

obligatory courses

For participation in the course to be effective, students should be able to translate texts from Latin into Polish with the help of a dictionary and have basic knowledge on the history of Poland and Europe as well as ancient culture.

Icarus in rock music? Caesar in a TV serial? Homer in novels for teenage girls? These are examples of the topics we will cover during the course, which has been designed as an innovative approach to neo-Latin sources, i.e. we will search for them in the most recent culture, including pop culture. The course is a seminar with elements of an experimental project whose progress will depend on the participants. Students will be able to propose the organization of a project involving the popularization of ancient culture. We will start working on this project, during which time the course participants will gain not only knowledge related to working with texts of culture as sources but also organizational and editing competence, for example.

Icarus in rock music? Caesar in a TV serial? Homer in novels for teenage girls? These are examples of the topics we will cover during the course, which has been designed as an innovative approach to neo-Latin sources, i.e. we will search for them in the most recent culture, including pop culture. The course is a seminar with elements of an experimental project whose progress will depend on the participants. Students will be able to propose the organization of a project involving the popularization of ancient culture. We will start working on this project, during which time the course participants will gain not only knowledge related to working with texts of culture as sources but also organizational and editing competence, for example.

Icarus in rock music? Caesar in a TV serial? Homer in novels for teenage girls? These are examples of the topics we will cover during the course, which has been designed as an innovative approach to neo-Latin sources. We will search for them in the most recent culture, including pop culture, of the 20th and 21st century.

The course is a seminar with elements of an experimental project related to the popularization of ancient culture, which the students themselves will be able to propose.

After defining the type of project, we will start working on it. We will prepare a plan, and divide the tasks among us. The project’s aim will be to present the way neo-Latin sources function and their role in our times, in different segments of culture – from books to the latest internet trends.

Working on the project, the course participants will gain not only knowledge related to working with texts of culture as sources but also organizational and editing competence, for example. They will learn about ways of popularizing knowledge on antiquity, and will be able to present the results of their work with sources to a wider audience. The successful completion of the course’s experimental part depends on the students themselves; success relies on their commitment to the project.

Podstawowe materiały studenci będą otrzymywać w trakcie zajęć.

Literatura uzupełniająca, nieobowiązkowa:

• Davidson Reid, Jane / Rohmann, Chris: Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1900s, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 1993, voll. I-II;

• Marshall W. Fishwick, Cicero, Classicism, and Popular Culture, The Haworth Press, New York – London – Oxford 2007.

• Grafton, Anthony & Most, Glenn W. & Settis, Salvatore, eds.: The Classical Tradition, Belknap/Harvard University Press 2010;

• Grimal, Pierre: Słownik mitologii greckiej i rzymskiej, Ossolineum, Wrocław et al. 1990, polska red. nauk. Jerzy Łanowski;

• Kallendorf, Craig W., ed.: A Companion to the Classical Tradition, Blackwell, Malden, MA 2007;

• Moog-Grünewald, Maria, ed.: The Reception of Myth and Mythology, Brill’s New Pauly, Supplements 4, Brill, Leiden–Boston 2010 (transl. D. Smart, orig. in German 2008).

Learning outcomes:

Knowledge:

- familiarity with mechanisms of reception of ancient texts;

- familiarity with leading personages and trends of ancient culture present in reception in contemporary culture;

- familiarity with basic methods of interpreting texts of culture that draw upon the ancient tradition;

- explaining the correlation between the character of reception of antiquity and social, political and cultural changes currently occurring in different regions;

- knowing and understanding the basic principles related to copyright;

- understanding the specificity of popularizing antiquity;

- being aware of current cultural events related to reception of antiquity, in Poland and around the world.

Skills:

- conducting effective preliminary research of sources and accurately presenting the results;

- quickly finding information using different sources and being able to verify its reliability;

- interpreting texts invoking the heritage of antiquity;

- developing and communicating a presentation about the reception of a work of ancient culture in contemporary culture;

- using knowledge and methods from different disciplines studying antiquity and its reception;

- taking part actively in discussions on cultural studies topics, formulating logical arguments and critical conclusions; being able to comment upon the views of others and the hypotheses of researchers;

- choosing and applying research methods and tools in a critical study and interpretation of a selected problem related to reception of antiquity;

- preparing an oral presentation on reception of antiquity accounting for the different needs of potential listeners;

- making use of the most important search tools in cultural studies, especially the Internet, databases and periodicals.

Social competences:

- understanding the need for interdisciplinary cooperation;

- understanding the need to consult specialists;

- working in a group while respecting the views of its members;

- when taking part in discussions, respecting the opinions of partners and using substantive arguments;

- being able to work under time constraints and meeting deadlines;

- showing initiative working on a project;

- understanding the need to adjust the discourse to different audiences;

- being aware of the importance of the ancient heritage in contemporary culture;

- a sense of responsibility for preserving and popularizing the ancient heritage;

- being aware of the need to make an effort to popularize culture with due diligence, avoiding superficiality, errors and simplification;

- being aware of the need for continual updating of one’s knowledge.

Credits are based on two elements:

1. work in class (active participation, being prepared for class) – 60%

2. a presentation during the project’s finalization – 40%

The opportunity to work on a project involving studies on the presence and function of neo-Latin sources in (pop) culture will enable participants to gain experience of value to their future employers: students will have the opportunity to distinguish themselves and develop their organizational, editing and interpersonal skills. They will learn to work to deadlines and to take responsibility for tasks they undertake during the course.