Scholae de litteris latinis: courses on ancient, Christian, medieval and humanistic Latin literature, and on Roman daily life
Non […] tam praeclarum est scire Latine quam turpe nescire.
Cicero, Brutus, 140.
In April we’ll continue our series of courses of Latin and Greek. They’ll be followed by other courses courses in October.
For now, you can register for the following courses (which have a limited number of participants):
Latin language: elementary (A1, A2), intermediate (B1, B2, B3) and advanced level (C1.1, C1.2);
Latin metrics: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Latin rhetoric: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Christian Latin literature: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Medieval Latin literature: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Latin literature of the Renaissance: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Modern science in Latin: for students at advanced level (C1 and C2);
Greek language: elementary (A2.2), intermediate (B2.1) and advanced level (C1.1).
How to apply
The applications will close no later than March the 21st, but they might close even earlier if the maximum number of applicants is reached. So apply sooner rather than later!
To apply you must fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Upon receiving the application, you’ll be provided all the details needed to make the bank transfer.
The application will be valid the moment the deposit is received, provided this happens within ten days after the form is sent.
All those who register for two or more of the courses above (for the period April-June), all those who have taken part in at least one course held from January to March 2026, and all those who are under 21 years of age at the time of registration, will receive a discount of 10%. The discounts are not combinable.
CHRISTIAN LATIN LITERATURE
In this course, we will deal with some major themes of Christian literature in late antiquity. We will read selected passages from the works of Paulinus of Nola, John Cassian, Leo the Great, and Cassiodorus, immersing ourselves in a Latin that is still thoroughly classical, yet already responding to the profound social transformations surrounding the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.
A course tailored for you
The course will be entirely in Latin: participants will listen, speak, read and write. An advanced knowledge of the Latin language is required.
We want everybody to take an active part in our lessons; that’s why, each group will be composed of no more than ten participants.
Dates of the course
The course will be held from the 8th of April to the 10th of June (ten 75-minute lessons: one per week).
All lessons will be held on Zoom, every Wednesday: they will begin at 5:30 p. m., Rome time (UTC + 2).
Should you be unable to attend a lesson, the Schola Latina will be glad to provide you with a video recording.
To help participants to meet and make friends, we’ll form some groups on Whatsapp or similar platforms.
Teaching material and course programme
For the study of these authors and the important historical issues concerning the early centuries of Christianity, the following textbooks are recommended:
− Moreschini-Norelli, Manuale di letteratura cristiana antica greca e latina, Morcelliana, Brescia, 1999.
− Simonetti-Prinzivalli, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica, EDB, Bologna, 2010.
− Young-Ayres-Louth, The Cambridge history of early Christian literature, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
− Quasten, Patrology, vol. 1: The beginnings of patristic literature, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame (Indiana), 1983.
During the lessons, we will read and discuss selected passages from the letters of Paulinus of Nola, the Collationes of John Cassian, the homilies of Leo the Great, and Cassiodorus’ De anima. All texts and necessary materials will be provided by the teacher. As for critical editions with commentary, these can be recommended by the instructor to anyone who is interested.
Teacher
The teacher will be Mr Luciano Romano.
Cost of the course
The course costs 175 euros.
All those who register for two or more of our courses (for the period April-June), all those who have taken part in at least one course held from January to March 2026, and all those who are under 21 years of age at the time of registration, will receive a discount of 10%. The discounts are not combinable.
How to apply
The applications will close no later than March the 21st, but they might even close before that deadline, if the maximum number of applicants is reached. So apply sooner rather than later!
To apply, it is required to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Upon receiving the application, you will be provided all details needed to make the bank transfer.
The application will be kept valid the moment the deposit is received, provided this happens within ten days after the sending of the form.
In short:
Language of the course: Latin
Level of knowledge of the language: advanced (C1 or C2)
Maximum number of participants per group: 10
Date of beginning: the 8th of April
Duration of the course: 10 75-minute lessons, every Wednesday for 10 weeks
Teacher: Luciano Romano
Cost of the course: 175 euros
MEDIEVAL LATIN LITERATURE
In this course, we will focus on a selection of important rulers, men and women, who lived or were born before 1000 AD.
A course tailored for you
The course will be entirely in Latin: participants will listen, speak, read and write. An advanced knowledge of the Latin language is required.
We want everybody to take an active part in our lessons; that’s why, each group will be composed of no more than ten participants.
Dates of the course
The course will be held from the 6th of April to the 8th of June (ten 75-minute lessons: one per week).
All lessons will be held on Zoom, every Monday: they will begin at 7 p. m., Rome time (UTC + 2).
Should you be unable to attend a lesson, the Schola Latina will be glad to provide you with a video recording.
To help participants to meet and make friends, we’ll form some groups on Whatsapp or similar platforms.
Teaching material and course programme
Anyone interested in the Middle Ages has certainly heard of many rulers, their deeds, less often about their wives or other important women. However, it is rare to be lucky enough to read about them directly from Latin sources. In our course, we will therefore focus on a selection of important rulers, men and women, who lived or were born before 1000 AD. At random, we can name some Frankish kings, King Alfred of England, Emperor Otto I, and among women, the Frankish queen Radegunda or the empresses Theophanes and Adelaide of Burgundy.
During the classes, we will read and discuss selected passages from Gregory’s of Tours Historia Francorum, Vita sanctae Radegundis written by Venantius Fortunatus, Asser’s De rebus gestis Aelfredi, Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg etc. All texts and necessary materials will be provided by the teacher. As for critical editions with commentary, these may be suggested by the teacher for those interested.
For the study of these authors and the important historical issues concerning the medieval historiography, the following textbooks are recommended:
– Bentley, Michael et al.: Companion to historiography, London and New York, Routledge, 2006.
– Curtius, Ernst Robert: Europäische Literatur und lateinisches Mittelalter, Tübingen und Basel, Francke Verlag, 19481.
– D’Angelo, Edoardo: Storia della letteratura mediolatina, Montella, Accademia Vivarium novum, 20041.
– Harrington, K. P.: Medieval Latin, Chicago-London, The University of Chicago Press, 19622.
– Leonardi, Claudio et al.: Letteratura latina medievale (secoli VI-XV), Firenze, Sismel-Edizioni del Galluzzo, 20021.
– Loud, Graham A. et al.: The making of Medieval history, York, York Medieval Press, 2017.
In any case, whatever book is found in print can work.
Teacher
The teacher will be Mr Jiří A. Čepelák.
Cost of the course
The course costs 175 euros.
All those who register for two or more of our courses (for the period April-June), all those who have taken part in at least one course held from January to March 2026, and all those who are under 21 years of age at the time of registration, will receive a discount of 10%. The discounts are not combinable.
How to apply
The applications will close no later than March the 21st, but they might even close before that deadline, if the maximum number of applicants is reached. So apply sooner rather than later!
To apply, it is required to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Upon receiving the application, you will be provided all details needed to make the bank transfer.
The application will be kept valid the moment the deposit is received, provided this happens within ten days after the sending of the form.
In short:
Language of the course: Latin
Level of knowledge of the language: advanced (C1 or C2)
Maximum number of participants per group: 10
Date of beginning: the 6th of April
Duration of the course: 10 75-minute lessons, every Monday for 10 weeks
Teacher: Jiří A. Čepelák
Cost of the course: 175 euros
LATIN LITERATURE OF THE RENAISSANCE
In this course we will explore Renaissance literature concerned with various kinds of journeys.
A course tailored for you
The course will be entirely in Latin: participants will listen, speak, read and write. An advanced knowledge of the Latin language is required.
We want everybody to take an active part in our lessons; that’s why, each group will be composed of no more than ten participants.
Dates of the course
The course will be held from the 8th of April to the 10th of June (ten 75-minute lessons: one per week).
All lessons will be held on Zoom, every Wednesday: they will begin at 7:15 p. m., Rome time (UTC + 2).
Should you be unable to attend a lesson, the Schola Latina will be glad to provide you with a video recording.
To help participants to meet and make friends, we’ll form some groups on Whatsapp or similar platforms.
Teaching material and course programme
We will read not only accounts of climbing a mountain and of a journey from Poland to Paris, but also narratives of voyages to the New World, and even fantastic travels to places that do not exist on any map. The hardships of the road and amusing incidents, unexpected impressions, and the philosophical reflections of renowned Renaissance authors will be at the heart of our readings.
The passages will be provided by the teacher during the lessons.
Teacher
The teacher will be Natalija Čepeláková.
Cost of the course
The course costs 175 euros.
All those who register for two or more of our courses (for the period April-June), all those who have taken part in at least one course held from January to March 2026, and all those who are under 21 years of age at the time of registration, will receive a discount of 10%. The discounts are not combinable.
How to apply
The applications will close no later than March the 21st, but they might even close before that deadline, if the maximum number of applicants is reached. So apply sooner rather than later!
To apply, it is required to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Upon receiving the application, you will be provided all details needed to make the bank transfer.
The application will be kept valid the moment the deposit is received, provided this happens within ten days after the sending of the form.
In short:
Language of the course: Latin
Level of knowledge of the language: advanced (C1 or C2)
Maximum number of participants per group: 10
Date of beginning: the 8th of April
Duration of the course: 10 75-minute lessons, every Wednesday for 10 weeks
Teacher: Natalija Čepeláková
Cost of the course: 175 euros
MODERN SCIENCE IN LATIN
This course will acquaint students with the “big hits” of early modern scientists writing in Latin: Johannes Kepler on celestial harmony, Giordano Bruno writing poetry on infinite worlds, and Galileo one-upping Plutarch describing the (real) face of the Moon.
A course tailored for you
The course will be entirely in Latin: participants will listen, speak, read and write. An advanced knowledge of the Latin language is required.
We want everybody to take an active part in our lessons; that’s why, each group will be composed of no more than ten participants.
Dates of the course
The course will be held from the 10th of April to the 12th of June (ten 75-minute lessons: one per week).
All lessons will be held on Zoom, every Friday: they will begin at 5:30 p. m., Rome time (UTC + 2).
Should you be unable to attend a lesson, the Schola Latina will be glad to provide you with a video recording.
To help participants to meet and make friends, we’ll form some groups on Whatsapp or similar platforms.
Teaching material and course programme
Within the wide span of astronomy, then, we will focus on topics at the two poles of speculative philosophy about the universum and naturalistic description of things seen through the brand-new telescope. Is the cosmos infinite? If it is, are there an infinite number of Earths and Suns? How can we convey the landscape of something so alien as the Moon? Our focus on the nitty-gritty of relatively small chunks of Latin will give us a firm basis to ground discussions of these big questions.
No background in science or in Neo-Latin is required. The passages will be provided by the teacher during the lessons.
Teacher
The teacher will be Jamie Banks.
Cost of the course
The course costs 175 euros.
All those who register for two or more of our courses (for the period April-June), all those who have taken part in at least one course held from January to March 2026, and all those who are under 21 years of age at the time of registration, will receive a discount of 10%. The discounts are not combinable.
How to apply
The applications will close no later than March the 21st, but they might even close before that deadline, if the maximum number of applicants is reached. So apply sooner rather than later!
To apply, it is required to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Upon receiving the application, you will be provided all details needed to make the bank transfer.
The application will be kept valid the moment the deposit is received, provided this happens within ten days after the sending of the form.
In short:
Language of the course: Latin
Level of knowledge of the language: advanced (C1 or C2)
Maximum number of participants per group: 10
Date of beginning: the 10th of April
Duration of the course: 10 75-minute lessons, every Friday for 10 weeks
Teacher: Jamie Banks
Cost of the course: 175 euros
About us
To find out how a host of people, from all ages, felt about our courses, click here.