Latin IV (Vergil and Assorted Prose)

Sections and Teachers

Section 1:

Instructor: Bruce McMenomy

Starts: August 31, 2026
Ends: June 4, 2027

Monday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET • Thursday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET

Tuition: $800.00

This course lets students confront continuous Latin writings in their original form — extensive prose passages from Pliny and other authors, and the unsurpassed poetry of Vergil’s Aeneid. We deal with the technical issues of the Latin language, but also with its subtler nuances and the literary features of the different works, taken together with their cultural and political contexts. We begin with fairly moderate readings; as students improve in fluency and stamina, they work up to reading about 120 lines of Vergil a week.

The course generally follows the College Board’s 2025 revised curriculum for AP Latin (Various prose and Vergil). It cannot be called AP Latin, since I am not seeking official approval from the College Board, but our students routinely go on to take the exam and to do well in it. Taking the AP Exam is not required but a student who completes the course successfully should be well prepared for it.

Prerequisites

Latin III or equivalent. Serious preparation in Latin prose and history. Students not entering through Latin III should contact the instructor: the course begins at an easy pace, but accelerates continuously throughout the year.

Recommended background

A strong foundation in Latin grammar and vocabulary for reading is of course necessary, however that has been acquired.

Within our program, Western Literature to Dante is highly recommended, but by no means required; familiarity with the Homeric epics is recommended as well, but the material will be covered.

Teacher's notes:

Students in the past have routinely scored well on the Latin AP Exam, but the AP Exam is not required. The goal here is to get strong reading competence in both prose and poetry.

Textbooks and Materials

This item is required:

Pliny: 20 Letters and Suggested Companion Texts [Edition or Version: 1], Authors: Pliny, Jacqueline M. Carlon

ISBN: 0865168857

Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore

Other information: I have listed the paperback; there is a hardback available if you prefer it.

This item is required:

Syntactical Mechanics [Edition or Version: 1], Authors: Bruce A. McMenomy

ISBN: 0806144947

Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore

Other information: This book is also required for Latin III, so continuing students will already have a copy.

This item is required:

Vergil: Selections and Suggested Companion Texts [Edition or Version: 1], Authors: Vergil, Barbara Weiden Boyd

ISBN: 0865168903

Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore

Other information: I have listed the paperback volume; there is a hardback option if you prefer it.

This item is required:

Why Vergil?: A Collection of Interpretations , Authors: Stephanie Quinn

ISBN: 0865164185

Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore