I. Why Study the Classical Languages?
Greek and Latin languages and literatures are fundamental toWestern Civilization. Latin forms the basis of the Romance languages
(French, Spanish, Italian, and others). Knowledge of either ancient language,
with their detailed and logical grammars, makes learning any other language
easier. A good deal of English vocabulary derives from Greek and Latin,
especially in science (e.g. "physics"), medicine ("dialysis"), technology ("telephone"), and
law ("justice," "habeas corpus").
The literature of the Greeks and Romans is the starting point of Western
thought. It is hard to imagine what our culture would be like without
the philosophy of Plato and St. Augustine, the dramas of Sophocles and
Seneca, the epics of Homer and Vergil, the courtroom arguments
of Demosthenes and Cicero, the mathematical discoveries of Euclid and
Archimedes, or the medical investigations of Hippocrates and Galen. Modern
authors from Dante and Milton to Eliot and Walcott have regularly turned
to the classical texts as building blocks for their own new houses.
The modern world prizes critical acumen, clarity, and precision in speech
and writing. These were the qualities of language and thought most extolled by the
Greeks and Romans.
II. Advanced Placement in Latin
Students with high school Latin should take the SAT-II College Board
Achievement Test or the Advanced Placement exams.
| below 530 (= AP Exam 1 or 2) |
LAT 1 (beginning) |
| 530-630 (= AP Exam 3) |
LAT 63 (intermediate) |
| 640-690 (= AP Exam 4) |
LAT 91 (advanced intermediate) |
| above 690 (= AP Exam 5) |
LAT 100-level (advanced) see note below |
Incoming students who have not taken the College Board Achievement test
may rate themselves in the following way:
- 4 years of high school
Latin should qualify the student at least for LAT 91;
- 3 years of high school Latin (with Latin taken in the senior year) should
qualify the student at least for LAT 63; and
- 2 years of high school Latin or 3 years (with no Latin taken in the
senior year) may not qualify the student for advanced placement.
Students are encouraged to aim high and enroll in a Latin course
beyond their placement, especially if they score near the upper limits;
if they find this level of Latin too challenging before the end of the drop-add period they will be allowed to drop back one level with no penalty.
A score of 4 or 5 gives the student credit for a Latin course taken
(LAT 85). LAT 85 will count toward the University requirement for 34 courses
necessary for graduation, but it will not count toward the University
language requirement, or for the Classical Studies or Classical Languages
major.
Students who have studied ancient Greek in high school and are interested
in continuing their study of the language should contact the
Director of Undergraduate Studies before completing their initial
registration forms.
For more information on language placement and suggested courses,
please visit languages.duke.edu.
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If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Joshua Sosin, or consult the webpages of the Department
of Classical Studies; and the
University's Official Schedule of Courses (ACES).
