Posted: September 16th, 2017

Commentary on a latin text

Commentary on a latin text

Your commentary should consider the following:
the author, date, place, and purpose of writing;
if the passage is an extract of a larger work, the purpose and place of the passage in the broader
context of the text;
literary style and devices, and linguistic choice;
points of particular historical interest relevant to the text’s historical context, such as events or people
mentioned;
how the passage fits into the genre of writing.
–    who wrote the text, where and when was it written, and why?
–    how does the author convey his message? what literary tricks or devices does he/she use to impress or persuade?
–    how does it fit into the broader context of the genres you have been studying?
–    for extracts: what is the place of the passage in the larger text and how does this passage contribute to or demonstrate the author’s main aims, methods or interests in the rest of the work?
You should refer to the text using line numbers, and where appropriate, you should quote from it. Quotations
may be in Latin or English depending on whether you are making a point about the text or the translation