Studying Greek and Latin

Matthew 9:9 in Greek and Latin from the Codex Bezae. CC BY-NC 4.0, Cambridge University Library

Beginning Greek or Latin at Yale

If you have never studied Greek or Latin before, no preparation is needed to begin your studies!

Each year, we offer two modalities for starting the languages:

  • If you prefer the standard pace where grammar is learned over two semesters, you can enroll in GREK or LATN 1001 in the fall and 1002 in the spring.
  • If you prefer a faster pace where grammar is learned in a single semester, we offer intensive courses that condense 1001 and 1002 into a single semester (numbered 1012). One course is offered in either semester—typically LATN 1012 in the fall and GREK 1012 in the spring. These courses count for two credits instead of one-and-a-half.

None of these courses have any prerequisites. Just find a time that suits you and sign up before the section closes. By starting here you can fulfill your Yale College language requirement and begin preparing for further study of Greek and Latin.

Continuing with Greek or Latin at Yale

If you have studied some Latin or Ancient Greek in high school and would like to resume your studies of either language at a higher level, you are encouraged to contact Professor James Patterson (james.patterson@yale.edu), the Language Program Director in Classics. The Department does not offer placement exams for either language; rather, placements are made through consultation with Dr. Patterson. In your email, please list each course you have taken in Latin and/or Greek; for each, please include the following information:

  • Course title
  • Course level (e.g. introductory, intermediate, advanced) 
  • Semester/year the course was taken
  • Most importantly, content of the course (what textbook was used; what author(s)/text(s) read, and roughly how much of it was read; if the course had a spoken Latin component; etc.).

For a sample of what we are looking for, please see below.

Dear Dr. Patterson,

I am an incoming first-year at Yale, and I am hoping to complete my Yale College language requirement with Latin. As such, I am seeking a placement. Please see below for the language work I completed in high school.

Title: Introduction to Latin I
Level: Introductory
Semester: Fall 2021
Content: We completed the first book of Ecce Romani.

Title: Introduction to Latin II
Level: Introductory
Semester: Spring 2023
Content: We did not use a textbook; instead we read short stories and talked about them in Latin.

Title: Virgil
Level: Intermediate
Semester: Spring 2024
Content: We translated all of Aeneid 4 and maybe 100 lines of Ovid.

(Editorial note: it is okay if you do not remember exactly how much you read. Another way to get at this question is to think of how much you prepared for homework or translated in class. See the following for an example.)

Title: Love Poetry
Level: Advanced
Semester: Fall 2025
Content: Lots of Catullus poems and some other authors I don’t remember. We translated 10-15 lines each class.

(Editorial note: literary and historical content—like discussing the meaning of a poem, writing interpretive essays, etc.—is important, but for the purpose of placement we are concerned only with your knowledge of the language’s grammar and how much you have translated.)

Thank you for your assistance!

Sincerely,
Student

Division of Language Courses

  • Courses in Greek and Latin are divided by level. The final digit in the course number conveys the level conferred upon successful completion of the course (e.g., LATN 1002 = L2 credit; GREK 2003 = L3 credit; GREK 3335 = L5 credit; LATN 4265 = L5 credit; etc.).
  • Beginning language courses are numbered in the 1000s (Levels 1-2).
  • Intermediate language courses are numbered in the 2000s (Levels 3-4). Advanced seminars are numbered in the 4000s: these may, but need not, require permission of the instructor and are generally recommended for Juniors and Seniors. If in doubt please consult the DUS.
  • Each year, a few 3000-level courses are designated as “bridge” courses and are intended as a bridge between the 3000 (upper intermediate) and 4000 (advanced) levels. Students are advised to take a bridge course before 4000-level courses.
  • Graduate-level courses are numbered in the 5000s and above: these may be taken by qualified undergraduates by permission of the DUS and DGS. They are never available on a Cr/D/F basis.