Oratio
To sign up for the workshop on the first day please fill this form.
To sign up for the taster sessions in active Latin and Greek, pease fill this form.
4-5 May 2024, Jesus College, Oxford
This two-day workshop aims to bring together individuals and institutions who, through research, classroom practice, or public engagement activities are working to make the study of classical languages more effective and widely available. The focus will be on ‘communicative’ or ‘active’ approaches. Speakers will share their experiences, the challenges they have faced, and their outcomes. Others will speak about the historical development of ancient language didactics and how this rich history can inform modern practices. The first day will feature 20–40-minute talks (in English or Latin), followed by a Q&A session. On the second day, workshop participants will conduct demonstrations of active teaching methodologies. Among these presentations will be the Reading Ancient Schoolroom – a recreation of an ancient school, directed by Prof. Eleanor Dickey and supported by her meticulous research – that enables modern students and academics to experience ancient teaching practices first-hand (learn more about it here).
Hac oratione mihi propositum est perscrutari opera trium poetarum qui aetate Renascentium artium de rebus Christianis latina carmina scripserunt. Isti ‘Christiani Marones’ variis quidem modis conati sunt ipsum genus epicum ita commutare ut ad materiam Christianam tractandam aptum foret, quo facto viam iis straverunt qui posterioribus saeculis linguis vernaculis carmina perbene nota de rebus Christianis scipsere – Miltonium dico, Tassum et alios.
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Praecipue vero de diis antiquis deque monstris antiquarum fabularum loquar, qui in hisce carminibus saepe ut hostes heroum vel sanctorum apparent. Tales vero ‘pugnae deorum’, ut propono, ipsam mutationem quae ars poetica et genus epicum ope ipsorum vatum subit significant. Videlicet ipso in carmine, dii veteres adversus novos arma sumunt certantque pro suo loco et in carmine et in litteris latinis, atque carmine volvente, ipsa pugna genus epicum transformat.