1776: Latin and the American Mind (2-Week Intensive)

Course Description: Yes, but... what can you actually DO with a Classics degree? One answer: you can found the freest, mightiest, most successful republic in the history of the world! If we translate what the American Founders studied in college into contemporary categories, we would term them Classics majors. In this class we will translate and discuss great texts in Latin in 10 daily two-hour sessions. Sessions 1-3: excerpts from Cicero about natural law, the virtue of prudence, and republicanism as the ideal mixed regime. Sessions 4-5: two Latin translations of the first and third parts of the Declaration of Independence. Sessions 6-9: Latin translations of Pericles' Funeral Oration by two of the greatest Renaissance Humanists, Lorenzo Valla and Philip Melanchthon. Session 10: two Latin versions of the Gettysburg Address. Come join the adventure of this intellectual ancestry search in time for America's 250th birthday!

DETAILS

Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Intermediate-Advanced reading knowledge

Textbook: Instructor will provide materials.

Sections capped at: 5 students. If the course is sold-out, please fill out this waiting-list form.

When
Monday-Friday, June 22-July 3, 5:00-7:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Cost
$650

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2-Week Semi-intensive (20 hour) -- 1776: Latin and the American Mind ($650)

Payment method

ACH Credit Card (3% convenience fee)

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Instructor

David Ring

David Ring teaches Latin and Ancient Greek as living languages by using an eclectic mix of methods, ranging from the insights of Renaissance Humanist pedagogy (especially the advice of Erasmus) to the Direct or Nature method to (first and foremost) Teaching with Comprehensible Input. Be it a discussion in Latin or Greek about a beautiful painting, or personal life conversation, or solving riddles, or paraphrasing poets into simpler prose, or storyboarding Lucian's True Stories -- David and his students aim to get lost in the joy of what they are doing, such that they forget they are speaking Latin or Ancient Greek. He believes that the purpose of liberal education is to help young people grow in self-knowledge -- both individual and cultural --, to help them form sharp intellects, wise judgment, and greatness of soul. He believes this is best done via direct encounters with the greatest minds and greatest stories of the last 3,000 years.