Masterlanguage
Classics students can attend courses that are offered by Masterlanguage - a curriculum of courses offered annually to MA students for several languages (among others, classical Greek and Latin). More information
Course objectives
The student who has successfully completed this course;
– is able to read and understand Latin inscriptions at a level that fits with their preceding education (VWO with Latin; introductory courses Latin I and Latin II at university; B Classics);
– has a good knowledge of the handbooks, corpora and databases for epigraphic research and has the ability to effectively use them for their own research;
– has a good knowledge of the most commonly used abbreviations and is able to apply the rules of transcription on a new text;
– is able to write a systematic epigraphic commentary on an unseen text and is able to assess which elements of the text are common and which unusual;
– is able to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the interpretation of epigraphic texts by including the original spatial context, the type of monument etc. into the interpretation of the epigraphic text.
Course content
An intensive introduction to the sources and methods of Latin epigraphy, mainly through on-site teaching.
The course comprises individual study and research (under supervision) in the library of the KNIR, alternated with lectures, and museum and site visits. The programme includes visits to the epigraphic collections of the Museo Nazionale Romano, the Musei Capitolini and the Vatican, and further comprises a city walk along monuments with in situ preserved ancient inscriptions, and excursions to the Roman necropolis at Isola sacra and the ancient city of Ostia.
Registration
Participating students sign up for Masterlanguage courses through the Masterlanguage website, while being enrolled in the Leiden Master programme specialisation Classics.