University of Virginia Library

I.—ANCIENT LANGUAGES.

Professor Harrison.—In this school are taught the Latin and Greek
Languages, the Greek and Roman History, Geography, and Literature,
and the Hebrew Language. The instruction, given by prelections and
examinations, comprises the following subjects.

1. The primary and secondary signification of words, and the method
to be pursued in ascertaining them:—the Etymology, comprising the


12

Page 12
laws which regulate the formation and composition of words:—the doctrine
of the inflection of grammatical forms of words, illustrated by reference
to the principles of the etymology:—the Syntax or doctrine of the
relations which the words in a sentence sustain to each other, and the connection
between different sentences and members of a sentence, as expressed
by connecting particles:—the principles of grammatical criticism, and
the idiomatic peculiarities of the language—the doctrine of the quantity of
syllables, and the metres.

2. The Greek and Roman History, Geography, and Literature, are
taught by prelections, and by commenting on portions of the text-books
appointed to be read. These form part of the studies of the senior classes.

3. The Hebrew Language.

The text-books are:

In the Junior Latin Class:—Horace, Cicero's Epistles ad Diversos,
Terence and Cæsar's Commentaries; the last chiefly with a view to the
written exercises. Zumpt's Latin Grammar is referred to. The student
should have Lempriere's Classical Dictionary, new edition by Anthon, in
two vols; Adams' Roman Antiquities: and the ancient, with the corresponding
modern Maps, of the series published by the "Society for the
Diffusion of Useful Knowledge," or the "Æton Comparative Atlas."

In the Senior Latin Class:—Juvenal, Livy and Tacitus. Of both Livy
and Tacitus the student should have the whole works, so far as they remain.

In the Junior Greek Class:—Xenophon's Anabasis, a play of Euripides,
or Æschylus, and Herodotus. Buttmann's Greek Grammar, is referred
to;—the "Larger" Grammar of Buttman, by Robinson, is to be
preferred. Donnegan's Greek and English Lexicon, and Thiersch's
Greek Tables by Patton, are recommended.

In the Senior Greek Class:—Euripides, Sophocles, Thucydides, and Homer.
In the prelections to this class, it is attempted to introduce the student
into the higher departments of grammatical criticism; references are
made to the large Grammar of Matthiæ, and to the annotations of Porson,
Schæfer, Hermann, Erfurdt, Elmsley, &c.

The History of Rome in the Library of Useful Knowledge, or Niebuhr's
Roman History, translated by Hare and Thirlwall, and Ferguson's Roman
Republic. Besides the ancient authorities, the students are advised to
use Heeren's Manual, and Montesquieu's "Grandeur et Decadence des
Romains." For the Roman Geography the Professor's printed notes is
the text-book.

In Grecian History, &c.:—The History of Greece published by the
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge is the text-book. Reference
is made to Mitford, Gillies, &c. The Professor's printed notes form
the text for the prelections on the Grecian Geography. In both Grecian
and Roman History, pains are taken to point out the ancient authorities.

In Hebrew:—Biblia Hebraica, edit: Van Der Hooght, by D'Allemand.
London; or the revised edition by Aug: Hahn, Leipsic, which is better
and cheaper. Stuart's Hebrew Grammar, 3d edition, and Gesenius's Hebrew
Lexicon, by Gibbs: (not the abridgement.)

It is expected of the students of Latin and Greek, that they shall read
in their rooms such authors and parts of authors, prescribed by the Professor,
as cannot be read in the lecture room: e. g.: Cicero's Epistles to


13

Page 13
Atticus, his Orations (selected,) and Treatise "de Republica;" Sallust, Virgil,
Terence, Plautus: Æschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes,
Demosthenes, Æschines, Thucydides, &c.

As an essential part of the plan of instruction, the students of each class
are required to furnish regularly, once a week, a written exercise; which
consists in the conversion of Latin or Greek into English, and of English
into Latin or Greek. The exercises are examined by the Professor, and
the errors marked: they are then returned to the students, and the corrections
stated and explained in the presence of the class. For these exercises
the classic authors are used as the text.