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Students have an overview of the Neolatin language and literature.

Starting with Petrarch in the 14^th century, some learned Italians began to revalue the works of ancient authors. They took off the shelves books that lay under dust for centuries and searched for forgotten manuscripts laying in the shadow of monasteries. They claimed that these ancient writers had a message for them, a kind of moral (and political) teaching, which could be brought into perfect harmony with Christian moral. They also realised that the Latin language these Roman authors had spoken was far more elegant than the one used by the scholastics. They now understood that Latin had once been a living language that went through different phases. This new and rapidly enlarging interest in ancient authors, the new appreciation of the world of the ancient Romans and Greeks led to the emergence of a new culture – Renaissance humanism. The fact that Latin and Greek remained the language of the learned elite in early modern Europe and that they are still highly valued is owing to the power of this new culture. It is thanks to Renaissance humanists that grammar school education continued to be based on the reading of the Classics for almost 500 years. It was this highly homogenous and coherent education all through Europe that guaranteed the survival of this culture and the reproduction of a certain type of political elite.

This course aims to give an introduction to the Neo-Latin language and literature and the culture of Renaissance humanism, combining literary, linguistic and historical approaches. Its special focus will be on education. After an introductive seminar (on 3 March) about Francesco Petrarca, the first few classes, held by Lav Subaric, will explain the development of the Latin language in early modern times and the different Neo-Latin genres. This will be followed by four block seminars (longer classes divided in two days) about the rise of humanist education and its modification by the Protestant Churches and the Jesuits.

The classes will be based on the reading, translation and interpretation of Neo-Latin texts. Students will be asked to have some knowledge of these texts before the seminars.

Grades will be given in accordance with participation at the seminars and the final written exam.

Martin Korenjak: Geschichte der neulateinischen Literatur. Vom Humanismus bis zur Gegenwart. München 2016.

Martin Korenjak (ed.): Neulatein. Eine Textsammlung. Lateinisch / Deutsch. Ditzingen 2019.

Further titles and texts will be announced later. 

The seminars will be partly in English, but the level of English knowledge will have no influence on the grades.