LatinLesson 5 of 5 in the course Latin literature

Classical Latin: Literary Standards, Periods, and Roman Linguistics

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

This lesson introduces Classical Latin as a literary standard and explains how Romans distinguished polished language from everyday speech.

Classical Latin is the form of Latin treated as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It developed from Old Latin around 75 BC and, by the third century AD, gave way to Late Latin. The boundaries are useful historical labels, not abrupt changes that occurred everywhere at once.

All flashcards

What is Classical Latin?
The literary standard associated with writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire; it developed from Old Latin around 75 BC.
What did Latinitas mean in Roman discussions of Latin?
A cultivated, higher register associated with polished speech and writing, distinguished from common vernacular Latin.
Was Latinitas only a written language?
No. It was spoken and written, taught in schools, and shaped by rules and conventions.
What is Neo-Latin?
A later, highly classicizing form of Latin shaped by efforts to imitate Classical models.
What distinction is commonly made between the Ciceronian and Augustan phases of the Golden Age?
The Ciceronian phase is especially associated with prose, while the Augustan phase is especially associated with poetry.

Quiz questions

  1. In Teuffel’s scheme, approximately when did the Golden Age of Roman literature begin and end?Answer: About 83 BC to AD 14.
  2. Why did Fronto use the expression scriptores classici for certain authors?Answer: He regarded them as first-class or reliable models of good Latin.
  3. Which combination summarizes tendencies attributed to Silver Latin style?Answer: Pointed concision, archaisms, Greek words, allusions, and literary use of common-dialect words.
  4. Which Roman scholar wrote De lingua latina?Answer: Varro.
  5. How did Latin analogists seek to identify regular forms?Answer: By comparing forms and looking for patterns of regularity.

Based on the Wikipedia article Classical Latin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Latin

All Latin lessons
LatinLatin Syntax: Cases, Verb Forms, and Clause Constructions5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →LatinLatin Declension: Cases, Noun Classes, and Adjective Agreement5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →LatinVirgil: Life, Major Works, and Literary Afterlife5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →LatinLatin Literature from Roman Drama to Early Modern Europe5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →LatinLatin: History, Alphabet, Pronunciation, Grammar, and Legacy5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →LatinOvid: Poetry, Exile, and Literary Reception5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →