LAT 102
Roman Culture Project
Due: 29 Apr (M)
It is often said that Latin is a “dead” language. I hope that over the course of nearly two
semesters now, you have discovered that this is far from true. We may not, in the course of a day, run
into people who speak classical Latin (although there are a few here and there, and there are certainly a
larger number who know ecclesiastical Latin), but we certainly encounter references to Roman history,
literature, art, religion, etc. on a near daily basis. Your job for this project is to (1) collect ten examples
of Latin language or Roman culture used in the world today, (2) annotate them, and (3) write a short
reflective essay about your experiences with Latin.
(1) What do I mean by examples of Latin in the world today? Well, this could be a photograph
of a store that uses Latin for its logo; it could be a snapshot of a museum you visited whose motto on
the exterior is carved in Latin; it could be an image of a Roman god used as a trademark; it could be a
comic from the paper that assumes some knowledge of Latin or Roman history to get the joke. Once you
start looking, you will find that Latin really is everywhere!
(2) So what do I mean by an annotation? There are frequently two types of annotations one
might encounter in academic circles: a descriptive annotation or a critical annotation. The former
provides a short (paragraph-length) summary of the important points of a source; the latter offers short
commentary on how useful a source would be for a particular research project. We are going to focus
on the descriptive variety for this assignment. Thus, a typical entry would look like this:
1. A clipping or photograph of the relevant Latin- or Roman-related item.1
2. A complete bibliographic (not footnote) entry for the source of the item, using appropriate
MLA formatting. (There are various websites that can help you with this.) You may have to
use your imagination for some entries. For instance, if you snap a photograph of a logo from
a store, your bibliography might include the street address of the store.
3. A short paragraph (minimum of 3-4 sentences) that gives a brief description of the Latin-
related item, the use and/or meaning of the item in ancient Rome, and the connection being
made between the past and the present through use of this item. That is, why does this
particular Latin- or Roman-themed item appear here, and is it effective?
You will present your annotated Latin references in a small binder or folder that collects and neatly
presents the images you have collected with the annotations. To conserve paper, you may print all
of the annotated bibliography entries together. As long as you link the article in some way to the
annotation (perhaps numbering would be the simplest approach), that is fine.
Annotated bibliographies are usually single-spaced within the entry, but double-spaced between
entries. You should be able to get two-three entries per typed page. Try not to write too much. This
is meant to be informative and integrative, not burdensome.
1
NOTE: I do not simply want you to search for images on the Internet. I want you to try and find Latin materials in
the places you visit every day. I know you probably have smart phones that can take pictures of the items you find.
So please look around your house, apartment, car, workplace, classrooms, shopping centers, etc. and see what you
can discover. You might have lyrics from a song, for instance, or a movie poster. But try to make it something you
have personally interacted with. If in doubt, ask me!
1
Here is a “fake” example of what I am talking about, and please note that students may not use
Panera Bread as one of their examples:
Quinn, Kathleen. Panera Bread Logo. 2012. Photograph. Panera Bread, 121 Community Street,
Hollymead Town Center, Charlottesville, VA 22911. Panera Bread is
a well-known casual restaurant chain that serves a variety of
pastries and sandwiches, all on breads that are baked right in their
stores. The word “Panera” is a play on the Latin word panis, panis,
m. meaning “bread” or “loaf.” This is appropriate for a chain of
restaurants that specializes in baking and serving a wide variety of
breads, from bagels and muffins to baguettes and bread bowls for
soup. According to the Panera Bread website
(http://www.panerabread.com/about/company/), the motto of the chain is “A loaf of bread in
every arm.” This can also be related to Roman culture in that Roman leaders often provided free
grain (to make bread) to keep the population of Rome happy and healthy.
(3) So what do I mean by a short, reflective essay? After you have collected your ten examples
of Latin- or Roman-themed items and prepared your annotations, I would like for you write a ca. 1-2
page reflective essay in which you discuss how learning about Latin has added to your academic
experience. I expect that each student’s essay will be different, given the reasons you signed up for the
course and what you have been able to apply in other academic (or personal) contexts. What will you
most remember about studying Latin?
