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36 latin – on the traCk of the ClassiCs in the gUlf of naples The young couple se- parates to let the group pass, their eyes following the energetic backs as they clamber up the hillside. Winding steeply across stony, rock-strewn ground, the track narrows until it is almost lost in the towering scrub. But UW’s classicists press on undaunted to their goal, Capo Miseno. Their effort is well rewarded: beneath them lies the magnificent panorama of the Gulf of Naples, stretching from the metropolis at the foot of Vesuvius to the island of Capri. It must have been here – from here the Roman writer Pliny the Elder might well have watched the devastating eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Classical literature and culture Two letters of Pliny, in which he describes the event in impressive detail, have led the group to this spot. Two days by bus to experience Roman literature where it was written: that was the point of a two-week excursion that took 33 UW students of Latin, along with four of their teachers, from <strong>Wuppertal</strong> to the Gulf of Naples – a good third of UW’s Latinists eager to see the surroundings in which Vergil, Seneca, Tacitus and Propertius wrote, and the places they described. Since 2008 it has been possible to take a combined degree in Latin at UW. The subject enjoys a growing popularity especially in view of the acute shortage of Latin teachers. The Gulf of Naples seemed a particularly attractive destination for the first major departmental excursion: scarcely a writer of classical Roman literature who did not leave some memory of the region behind. FroM PeriLs oF LoVe to MAtriCide Ecquid tE mEdiis cEssan- tEm, cynthia, Baiis, qua iacEt hErculEs sE- mita litoriBus? do you tHinK oF Me, Cyn- tHiA, reLAxinG in bAiAe, WHere HerCuLes’ PAtH stretCHes ALonG tHe sHore? Propertius, Elegies Thus Pliny was on Cape Mise- num. Cicero and Caesar before him holidayed in the coastal resort of Baiae, the playground of the rich, criticized for its ostentatious luxury by the philosopher Seneca. Here the poet Propertius feared his beloved might fall prey to amorous adventure; here, too, Nero murdered his mo- ther, Agrippina – a story told by Tacitus who, along with his fellow historian Suetonius, also reports the bizarre goingson at the Emperor Tiberius’ summer place on Capri. Virgil has his hero Aeneas land at Cumae where, after inquiring of the sibyl, he descended into the underworld. He himself lived many years in Naples and was buried there. Naples is also the birthplace of the poet Statius, who describes not only the new highway to the Gulf built by the Emperor Domitian, but also a villa near Sorrento whose remains are still visible today. mantua mE gEnuit, cala- Bri rapuErE, tEnEt nunc parthEnopE; cEcini pas- cua, rura, ducEs. MAntuA bore Me, CALA- briA tore Me AWAy, nAP- Les noW HoLds Me. i sAnG oF sHePHerds, Heroes, rurAL WAys. Inscription on Virgil’s grave But that is not all. The UW classicists saw again and again why classical philology comprises both Latin and Greek. Naples (nea polis = new town) was founded by the Greeks, and the Greek colonies in Ischia and Cumae are older still. From here the Romans drew their (and our) alphabet. Paestum, some three hours by bus from Naples, has impressive Greek temples, and a little further on lies Velia (the ancient Elea), where Parmenides laid the foundations of western metaphysics. What drew the wealthy Romans and their poets to the Gulf of Naples, therefore, was also the proximity of Greek culture. Right into the Common Era the region was bilingual, and here in Naples, Sorrentum and Baiae, in Capri and around Vesuvius, the tales of the great writers of antiquity are set. hic vEr adsiduum atquE aliEnis mEnsiBus aEs- tas, Bis gravidaE pEcu- dEs, Bis pomis utilis ar- Bos. Here sPrinG endures, suMMer is seVerAL MontHs LonG, tWiCe tHe CAttLe GiVe birtH And tWiCe tHe tree Fruits. Virgil, Georgics our last stop – and now we are on our way home – is the village of Andes on the River Mincio. Here, within sight of Mantua, the poet Virgil was born. A stone on which he is said to have sat has, we are told, been removed to the museum. But a man on horse- back shows us the exact place on the dike where it, he assures us, once stood – but what a long way to come, he observes in wonderment (or admiration), to see a stone! Yet to have experienced the broad and fruitful plains of Lombardy where the poet was born, and the Gulf of Naples, unique in geography and history, where he spent his creative life, will surely provide new insight into his work, as well as a rich background against which the future teacher will be able to communicate it. Prof. Dr. Stefan Freund Faculty of Humanities Department of Classical Philology – Latin Tel. +49 (0)202 439-3215, -3217 E-mail freund@uni-wuppertal.de k www.fba.uni-wuppertal. de/latein/ 37
38 Developing perspeCtives – the role of the Central stUDent aDvisory anD CoUnseling serviCe The university lands- cape is growing more complex by the day, and professional guidance through the information jungle is more than ever necessary. From initial orientation to onward guidance – for instance at the bachelor-master threshold – UW’s Student Counseling Service will give you a knowledgeable answer. “How is UW preparing for the double student intake in the next couple of years?” “Are my grades good enough for a degree program?” “Should I apply straight away for a master’s program?” Such questions as these confront us every day. online degree program application and organization speeds up many processes, but – especially in view of the range and variety of programs increasingly on offer – reliable personal advice from someone who knows their way around remains indispensable. This goes not only for students of all semesters but also for school students and – with increasing frequency – their parents, too. orientAtion And PsyCHo- LoGiCAL suPPort The Information Center’s trained student advisors provide initial information, and you will also find a range of flyers there, for example on UW’s currently more than 30 master’s programs. If questions remain or problems arise, you should turn to one of our professional student counselors. A recurrent issue, for instance, is first-semester shock: the realization, a few weeks into your course, that you have to take responsibility for your own work and progress. This generally expresses itself in a vague feeling that you have chosen the wrong subject(s), or that you are over- or under-stretched. other frequent topics are questions about the various program steps and their order, or about changing subjects, as welll as problems of self-organization, or psychological problems such as examination nerves. The Student Counseling Service’s psychological counselors will provide professional support with personal problems, whether these are concerned with the university or with the broader life situation. trAininG oFFers FroM tHe student CounseLinG serViCe Seminars such as ‘Learning and Work Techniques’, ‘Writing Assignments’, or ‘Coping with Exam Nerves’ can provide useful tips for progress in your studies. As you come up to graduation, the Student Counseling Service also offers individually tailored career threshold coaching. GoinG AbroAd In cooperation with UW’s In- ternational office the Student Counseling Service offers in- tercultural counseling for students both coming from and going to universities abroad. Dr. Christine Hummel Central Student Advisory and Counseling Service Tel. +49 (0)202 439-2595 E-mail zsb@uni-wuppertal.de opening hours Mon-Thurs 9:00-16:00, Fri 9:00-14:00 kwww.zsb.uni-wuppertal.de 02_UW_ACADEMICS 39
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