Living Latin in Paris Admission Information
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have been accepted to participate in Living Latin in Paris. We are very much looking forward to helping you develop your knowledge of Medieval and Renaissance Latin while also getting to know you in the amazing city of Paris this winter.
This course will focus on a variety of texts from the Medieval and Renaissance period. It aims to introduce students and teachers of Latin to a period of Latin literature which is marked by both continuities and differences. In the later Middle Ages and Early Renaissance, particularly in the 13th-century, Paris was one of the most important intellectual centers of Europe. We will read and discuss texts written by authors active in Paris. As is usual for Paideia programs, we will also be reading texts linked to Medieval and Renaissance sites in situ, as well as speaking Latin both on site and in the classroom.
Before the course begins, we need some things from you. The following deadlines apply for the payment of your deposit of $500 and your remaining balance (the amount will depend on your housing choice). The deposit confirms your participation and guarantees your spot in the course. Please note that the deposit is not refundable if you decide to withdraw from the program.
Practical Information for your stay in Paris
Books
The Paideia Institute will provide you with a course packet with all necessary readings and assignments in order to facilitate classroom discussions. If you are looking to do some reading on Medieval history before you arrive, we recommend either William Chester Jordan’s Europe in the High Middle Ages (available on Amazon here) or the shorter, more lively Penguin Illustrated Atlas of Medieval History (some copies available here).
Grammar
We request that all participants bring a copy of Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar. It is available on Amazon here.
Dictionaries
All participants should bring a good Latin dictionary. The following are recommended, but optional:
SPQR offers the best Latin dictionary app that we know of for mobile devices. It is available from Apple's App Store or Google Play.
John Traupman’s The Bantam New College Latin & English Dictionary is a handy, pocket-sized dictionary with a good English-to-Latin section. Perfect for throwing in your bag and bringing on-site. Buy it on Amazon here.
John Traupman’s Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency is an excellent resource for learning to speak authentic, idiomatically correct Latin, organized by theme. It is available on Amazon here.
Clothing
Paris is cold in the winter. It may rain or snow while we are there. Clothes that will keep you warm, dry and comfortable while outside for long periods of time are essential. Please also bring good strong walking shoes. Since our course takes place over New Year’s Eve, you might also decide to bring one formal outfit for going out.
Staying in Touch
The Hotel Marignan is equipped with wireless Internet. For emergencies, the French cell phone numbers of Paideia staff will be made available to participants closer to the start of the trip.
Health and Well Being
Medical care in France is first rate. All participants must have their own health insurance covering them internationally during the full duration of their time in Italy. A Student Travel Protection Plan is available for this program through Travel Guard. For coverage information and to purchase this insurance prior to final trip payment, please visit this link. Please contact Travel Guard at 866-385-4839 with any questions.
If you are taking medication, be sure to bring enough for your entire stay. There are well-stocked pharmacies in Paris, but not all drugs are readily accessible without a prescription and it is better to bring your own supplies.
If you have a medical condition that could affect your ability to participate, we strongly urge you to share that condition with your instructors so that in the event of a medical issue they can most quickly and efficaciously arrange your care. All such information will be held in the strictest confidence.
Schedule and Curriculum
In the morning, students visit sites in and nearby the city of Paris that are connected to the texts they discussed in seminars. Site visits feature active-Latin pedagogy, allowing students the opportunity to practice spoken Latin.
During afternoon seminars, students read and discuss selections of Latin literature with special connections to the city of Paris. The seminars provide further opportunities for students to practice their spoken Latin, to review grammatical concepts as necessary, and to discuss philosophical, historical, and literary questions raised by the texts they read.
Below is a sample of text and site pairings from past programs. This list may change for this year's program, and is merely intended to give an idea of how texts are paired with sites.
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Venantius Fortunatus (500-600) Vita Santi Germani Urbis Parisiacae Episcopi
Gregorius Turonensis (538-594) Historia Francorum
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis
Abbas Sugerius (1081-1151) De Rebus in Administratione Sua Gestis
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Petrus Abaelardus (1079-1142) Epistola ad Heloysam
Heloysa (ca. 1100-1160) Epistula ad Abelardum
Chartres
Bernardus (1090-1153) De contemptione mundi
Hieronymus (347-429) Prologus in biblia sacra
Ambrosius (340-397) De mysteriis
Hermanus Contractus (1013-1054) Salve Regina
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Summa Theologica
Isidorus Hispaniensis (560-636) Sententiae
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471) De imitatione Christi
Forms and Payment
Enrollment Form
Please complete the following enrollment form by October 16:
Legal Documents
Please electronically sign our Media Release, Health Insurance Form, and Release of Liability by November 15 by clicking on this link.
Arrival and Departure Form
Participants are expected to arrive in Paris on December 27 and make their own way to their accommodation. Students staying in hotel housing should head to the Hotel Marignan. Ideally, you would arrive in time for the walking tour, which starts at 2pm at the Pantheon. Students must depart on January 4.
Please fill out this online form with your arrival and departure information by November 15. A week before the trip begins, we will send you information about our arrival day procedure.
Housing
Students can choose to stay in shared rooms in the Hotel Marignan. Triple and quad rooms will be shared with other course participants. The cost for tuition and housing together is $1750.
Should you prefer to acquire your own housing, the tuition is discounted to $1350.
Deadlines
Non-Refundable Deposit: October 16, 2019
Remaining Balance: November 15, 2019
Scholarships
There are limited scholarship funds available for Living Latin in Paris from the Reginald Foster Fund. If you applied for a scholarship, you will be notified separately.
Payment by Check
Please send a check payable to the Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study, Inc. to the following address. Please make sure that the checks are received by the above dates.
Attn: LLiP Payment
The Paideia Institute
PO Box 670
New York, NY 10012
Payment Online
Please pay the deposit and balance by clicking the button below.