This course is an intensive introduction to the Latin language, which was the language spoken in ancient Rome by the emperors, by the Popes, and eventually the lingua franca of the Mediterranean basin – until the raise of English in modern times.The students will learn how the Romans write and spoke, and how to translate their words into proper English (and the other way around).By the end of the course students will have completed the first 22 chapters in Wheelock’s Latin textbook, covering:
1) all five declensions for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives;
2) all six verb tenses in the active voice and indicative mood (present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect);
3) about 1,000 vocabulary words.
While a brief review of English grammar is foreseen, students are expected to have a comprehension of said grammar appropriate to an undergraduate university level.
Assignments from “Scribbles, Sculptors and Scribes” will provide real life graffiti, inscriptions, and texts from Rome and Pompeii that will make Latin more alive and relevant: many of them are actually visible in the city the students will be living for the semester.

 This semester of Latin will allow you to move to a second semester course (Latin 102) at John Cabot University or any another institution.

 The virtual learning environment Moodle will be used to post announcements, grades, slides, attendance etc. Please, 1) register at moodle.johncabot.edu using the email address that you use most often, 2) upload a clear face-portrait of you in your Moodle profile, and 3) self-enroll in this course (the password is will be provided during the first class). Failure to fulfill these three requirements by the beginning of the 4^th class will result in a zero-grade assignment from the 4^th class included until all three requirements will be met.

This course will
1.      provide students with a fundamental understanding of Latin grammar (phonetics, morphology and syntax);
2.      allow students to read and translate simple Latin narratives into English;
3.      substantially improve the students’ knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary: it can develop writing and composition skills and serves as good preparation for those who wish to take graduate entrance exams, such as the GRE, LSAT, etc.
4.     allow students to consider some of the ways that Latin has influenced other languages, in particular English

Attendance will be taken at every class.
More than 6 absences regardless of the reason (that is missing more than 20% of the course) will have you fail the class.
Every student who has accumulated ONE or less absences (regardless of the reason) by the day of the midterm will be allowed to answer to the extra credit questions on the midterm. Every student who has accumulated THREE or less absences (regardless of the reason) by the day of the final exam will be allowed to answer to the extra credit questions on the final exam.

As from the university catalog:
“Attendance Policy
Specific requirements for attendance in any given course, except as described below, are the prerogative of the instructor and will be stated in the course syllabus distributed by the instructor at the beginning of the term.
The Dean’s Office may grant exemptions from specific attendance policies in the case of a chronic medical condition or other serious problem. Students seeking such an exemption must ask a Dean as soon as they are aware of a situation impeding their required attendance. Students who cannot meet the attendance requirements for a particular class may be advised to withdraw from it.
Absences from major examinations require a Dean’s Office excuse, insofar as the student may seek to take a make-up exam. The Dean’s Office will only excuse such absences when they are caused by serious impediments, such as a student’s own illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which the student is attending the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students seeking such an excuse must notify their instructor, or the Dean’s Office, as soon as possible, and no later than the beginning of the exam.
Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday must notify their instructors by the end of the Add/Drop period (during the first week of classes). Students missing a class for this reason also must make prior arrangements with their instructor to make up any work.

Exams - Absences and MakeupsInstructors may, at their discretion, give makeups on quizzes or other less important graded work to students absent without an official excuse. However, because make-up exams require new exams to be prepared, written and proctored at times outside the regular class period, major examinations (midterms, finals) may only be re-administered with approval from the Dean’s Office. 

A student absent from a class meeting in which a major examination has been scheduled, who wishes to make-up that exam, must ask the Dean’s Office for an official excuse. Such absence will be excused only if the student: 

1. has notified the Dean’s Office or his or her instructor of his or her inability to attend before the beginning of the class meeting in which the examination was scheduled; 
2. subsequently presents to the Dean’s Office with documented evidence of a serious difficulty preventing attendance. 

Serious difficulties entitling a student to make-up a missed exam include a student’s own illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which the student is attending the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Missed exams owing to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel plans or difficulties, student misunderstandings, alarm clock failure, or personal convenience, will not be excused.”
Please, refer to the university catalog for any other doubts regarding attendance policy