LATN 361 / CATH 361 / MSTU 398-002: Augustine, Confessions Fall Semester 2008

Our work this term will have three central aims (plus the fourth, of having fun with them):

• To increase facility at reading Latin
• To assess critically current scholarly inquiry into Augustine, the Confessions, and Augustine's world
• To develop skills of research, critical thought, and scholarly presentation by pursuing investigation into questions arising from Augustine's Confessions

• Required: Augustine, Confessions, Books I-IV, ed. Gillian Clark (Cambridge UP 1995)
  • We may also make use of Augustine, Confessions: an electronic edition, ed. James J. O'Donnell, SGML encoding and HTML conversion by Anne Mahoney (on-line reprint of Oxford text and commentary 1992; for the Stoa Consortium 1999)
• Required: Garry Wills, Saint Augustine (Viking Penguin 1999)
• Recommended: J. H. Allen et al., Allen & Greenough's New Latin Grammar (Dover Books 2006); e-text available through Perseus

• Augustine's web-page: nerve-center for teaching and research on Augustine on the Internet, including articles, bibliographies, texts, commentaries, images, records of an on-line seminar run in 1994 and 1995, and links to other off-site resources; edited by James J. O'Donnell, formerly of the University of Pennsylvania (where a mirror-site is still maintained), now Provost of Georgetown University
• Devotion and Dissent: the Practice of Christianity in Roman Africa, work in progress of the Interdisciplinary Working Group for the Study of Christianity in Roman Africa led by Prof. J. Patout Burns of the Vanderbilt Divinity School
• ORB - Late Antiquity: a division of the On-Line Reference Book for Medieval Studies focused on the period AD 284-632. A clearinghouse of on-line resources for the study of late antiquity, with links to other sites. Scholarly; edited and managed by Steven Muhlberger of Nipissing University.
• IAHS - Late Antiquity: part of the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook, an index of on-line translations of primary sources, focused on "the end of antiquity" - some texts as early as the first and second centuries AD, but mostly third and fourth; the main site covers ancient history comprehensively. Scholarly compilation for teaching purposes, relying principally on older translations in the public domain; edited by Paul Hallsall, then of Fordham University where the Sourcebook is maintained, now of the University of North Florida.
• IMS - the End of the Classical World: part of the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, an index of on-line translations of primary sources, a few texts as early as the second and third centuries AD, but mainly focused on the fourth and fifth; the main collection is the largest of on-line medieval texts. Scholarly; edited by Paul Hallsall, then of Fordham University where the Sourcebook is maintained, now of the University of North Florida.
• De Imperatoribus Romanis: an on-line encyclopedia of Roman emperors, including empresses, junior emperors, and ultimately non-successful claimants of imperial power - classical, later Roman, and Byzantine. Includes interlinked biographical articles with bibliography, imperial stemmata, the DIR/ORB Ancient and Medieval Atlas, and an index of select major battles. Scholarly, peer-edited; editorial boards currently under the presidency of Richard Weigel of Western Kentucky University (Classical through Later Roman Empire) and Lynda Garland of the University of New England, New South Wales (Byzantine).
• The Perseus Digital Library, an evolving digital library that originated with an extensive and still-growing center of resources for the study of the Classical world.
• Lacus Curtius, a staggeringly rich treasurehouse of on-line resources for Roman archaeology and topography (especially); compiled by Bill Thayer.

• Allen & Greenough (also a recommended text, in print) is a good reference grammar on-line. Consult its sections on forms and syntax as often as the mood strikes you - they're always worth knowing. Scroll down the Table of Contents to which this link takes you, and click on the link for each item you wish to consult. Part of the Perseus Project.
• Lewis & Short On-Line offers look-up access to a detailed reference dictionary. Type in the character string for which you wish to search (preferably, the dictionary-entry form of the word you want) and "submit query". Warning! This page was initially set up for people working with Greek, so many of its directions and responses will come to you in terms of Greek words and transliterations. Do not be alarmed! Your instructor will endeavor to help unsnarl any confusions: just ask. Another helpful part of the Perseus Project.
• Nuntii Latini offers current news briefs in Latin. Produced by FYI, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, edited by Professor Emeritus Tuomo Pekkanen and Docent Reijo Pitkäranta of Helsinki University.
• latin.wunderground.com offers weather reports in Latin. Produced by The Weather Underground, Inc..

• Guide to Writing Academic Papers: Dr. Long's strategic checklist.
• Guide to Beginning Research on Topics in Classical Studies: suggestions and resources.
• Loyola Writing Program's Statement of Grading Standards. As you can see, Harvard University's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning recommends to instructors a similar set of policies for Grading Papers - the document offers extremely useful insight to instructors' objectives for student writing.
• 1st edn. (1918) of William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style: print editions have been updated, but the original still represents the standard American guide to good writing
• How to use apostrophes, or else.
• The the impotence of proofreading by Taylor Mali.

Additional University resources

• Loyola's Learning Assistance Services, on the Web and in the Sullivan Center for Student Services on the Lakeshore Campus, offers workshops on topics such as study skills and test taking. They will also help arrange accommodations for students with disabilities.
• The Tutoring Center (physically in the Sullivan Center; peer-counselors) and the Writing Centers (sponsored by the Department of English: graduate students with expertise in writing pedagogy; Sullivan Center 245 and on the Water Tower Campus in 25 East Pearson 605) both offer consultation services.

Revised 22 August 2008 by jlong1@luc.edu
http://www.luc.edu/classicalstudies/