Living Latin in Rome

Course Description

Living Latin in Rome is an intensive Latin experience set in the city of Rome. In two seminar-style meetings every day, participants read and discuss Latin literature and Roman history and culture. To the extent possible, the language of instruction in these seminars is Latin. 

In addition to the daily seminar sessions, the program includes a variety of optional programming designed to build students’ facility in speaking and understanding Latin, as well as lectures on topics relating to Roman history and culture, and visits to historical sites in Rome. The program also features a trip to an important site outside of Rome that is relevant to the program’s theme. 

In 2024, Living Latin in Rome will focus on Vergil and Latin Epic, reading selections from Vergil's Aeneid as well as other Latin epic poets influenced by Vergil.  From Thursday, July 4th to Saturday, July 6th, the program will visit the Bay of Naples area.

Prerequisites

Participants should know the basics of Latin grammar. This usually means the equivalent of one year of college, two years of high-school Latin, or completing Paideia’s self-paced online Living Latin course. No experience speaking Latin is required, but experienced Latin speakers are also encouraged to apply. Paideia alumni and Nexus members are particularly encouraged to apply.

Participants must be 18 years or older. Students under the age of 18 should consider Living Latin in Rome High School.

Classrooms

Classes for Living Latin in Rome take place in modern, air-conditioned classrooms at the Forma Spazi conference center in the Monti neighborhood of Rome.

Teachers

Marina Garanin

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Teacher, Living Latin in Rome

Marina Garanin

Salvete omnes, my name is Marina Garanin. Graduated from Heidelberg (Germany) and Oxford, I am currently working on my PhD on Latin translations from Greek at the University of Heidelberg. I taught Latin courses for beginners at the University, also living Latin. I have been practising spoken Latin since the beginning of my studies, and I have been taking part in different Latin (and Greek) speaking events such as the German Septimana Latina, the Schola Aestiva Posnaniensis, the “CAELUM” in Madrid, Living Latin in New York City, “LILIUM” in Florence. Most recently (2022), I participated at the Latin speaking theater festival “Thalia” organized by the Schola Humanistica in Vicenza, Italy. There, I played the part of “Medea” in the tragedy “Medeae Daemones”, in Iambic Trimeters, written by Stefano Vittori, with whom I speak Latin in our every day life. I also write metrical poetry in Latin, some of which are published in the periodical “Vox Latina” from 2019 on; some are awarded with prizes (“Chancellor’s Latin Verse Prize” in Oxford 2017, Certamen Sarbievianum in 2019 and 2021, Certamen “Mimesis – Modernità in Metrica” 2021). In my free time, besides of writing poetry and acting, I like drawing, singing and writing music; also, being a huge dog lover (not having one on my own though), I like reading books about dog behaviour and education. Also, I have a Latin YouTube channel (Musa Pedestris) where you can find poetry recitations, latin vlogs, livestreams, and other videos on Latin.

Tyler Patterson

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Teacher, Living Latin in Rome

Tyler Patterson

Tyler is a PhD student in Classics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and a Senior Rome Fellow of the Paideia Institute for 2021–22. He is an alumnus of numerous Polis, SALVI, and Paideia Institute programs worldwide and is a passionate advocate for active approaches to ancient languages. Broadly interested in the Latin literary tradition as well as the history and legacy of the Roman world, Tyler’s doctoral work focuses on the representation of the city of Rome in Latin literature, especially from c. 1100 to 1455.

Matthew McGowan

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Head Teacher, Living Latin in Rome

Matthew McGowan

Matthew McGowan is Associate Professor & Chair of Classics at Fordham University and alumnus of Reginald Foster's Fifth Experience (Rome 1998-99). From 2009-2015 he served as President of the NY Classical Club and is currently the Vice-President for Communication and Outreach for the Society of Classical Studies. His scholarly interests range broadly over Greek and Latin literature and the classical tradition. His first book, Ovid in Exile: Power and Poetic Redress in the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto, appeared in 2009 with Brill, and he has just completed an edited volume, Classical New York: Greece & Rome in NY's Art and Architecture, for Fordham University Press. He is currently at work on a Guide to the Greek and Latin Inscriptions of New York City alongside a survey of ancient lexicography, Dictionaries in Ancient Rome: The Art of Defining Latin Words, 200 BC--800 AD. He teaches a wide array of courses, from classical myth to Latin prose composition, and is delighted to be working with Paideia and its wonderful students and staff!

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Tuition and Fees

The tuition for Living Latin in Rome is: $2500. This includes instruction, transportation, housing during the program’s weekend trip to the Bay of Naples, and three group meals. It does not include housing in Rome. Airfare and transportation to and from the airport are not included, and participants must bring their own edition of the course’s main text.

Housing and Other Costs

Participants must arrange their own housing in Rome (housing during the weekend trip will be provided by the Institute). The Paideia Institute has negotiated discounted group rates with trusted housing providers in centrally located hotels. Approximate rates for each type of lodging for the duration of the program are listed below. Contact information for housing providers and group discount codes (if available) will be provided upon acceptance.  Participants will also be able to contact each other to arrange shared housing if desired.

Estimated costs of housing at suggested hotels are below (subject to availability):

• Dorm accommodation: $600
• Hotel room shared with another program participant: $850
• Single Hotel Room: $1200
• Apartment: $1400

Airfare, transportation to and from the airport, daily expenses for meals, and spending money are not included in the cost of tuition. The cost of life in Rome can vary greatly depending on one’s tastes, but at the very least we recommend that participants budget €25/day for food. Please consider the exchange rate when planning your budget.

Scholarships

The Paideia Institute is able to offer a number of full and partial scholarships to participants with demonstrated financial need. Please visit our scholarships page to learn more. Scholarship applications received by the priority application deadline for the program (March 1, 2024) will receive fullest consideration.

Request an Application

For the highest chance of admission, please submit your completed application by the priority deadline of March 1, 2024. Applications received after March 1 will be considered on a rolling basis while space is available.

Request an Application

What People Are Saying

"Paideia excelled at its goal of loci in locis. The readings were carefully chosen and read in a way that evoked both deeper thought about the text and greater appreciation for where and when it was written. These poems will stick with us for years to come. " - Robert C. '22

"I had the best experience at the Living Latin in Rome program this summer! The loci in locis program has enriched my appreciation for the language and the culture surrounding it. Latin has always been my passion and I really loved the chance to see the city with other people who share that passion with me." - Grace Kelley '22

"Through Living Latin in Rome, I’ve become far more comfortable approaching texts from any era. Each day, I felt reinvigorated about the study of the language and my commitment to a career in Classics. LLiR made the Latin jump of the page, transforming it into something tangible and engaging. I’m thrilled with how much I learned, how much I’ve grown, and the incredible friends I’ve met along the way, with whom I’m already planning reunions at the next Living Latin in NYC!" - Caroline Spurr '19