LITERA: An LLM Based Approach to Latin-to-English Translation

Paul Rosu


Abstract
This paper introduces an LLM-based Latin-to-English translation platform designed to address the challenges of translating Latin texts. We named the model LITERA, which stands for Latin Interpretation and Translations into English for Research Assistance. Through a multi-layered translation process utilizing a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o-mini and GPT-4o, LITERA offers an unprecedented level of accuracy, showcased by greatly improved BLEU scores, particularly in classical Latin, along with improved BLEURT scores. The development of LITERA involved close collaboration with Duke University’s Classical Studies Department, which was instrumental in creating a small, high-quality parallel Latin-English dataset. This paper details the architecture, fine-tuning methodology, and prompting strategies used in LITERA, emphasizing its ability to produce literal translations.
Anthology ID:
2025.findings-naacl.434
Volume:
Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: NAACL 2025
Month:
April
Year:
2025
Address:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Editors:
Luis Chiruzzo, Alan Ritter, Lu Wang
Venue:
Findings
SIG:
Publisher:
Association for Computational Linguistics
Note:
Pages:
7781–7794
Language:
URL:
https://preview.aclanthology.org/fix-sig-urls/2025.findings-naacl.434/
DOI:
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):
Paul Rosu. 2025. LITERA: An LLM Based Approach to Latin-to-English Translation. In Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: NAACL 2025, pages 7781–7794, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Association for Computational Linguistics.
Cite (Informal):
LITERA: An LLM Based Approach to Latin-to-English Translation (Rosu, Findings 2025)
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PDF:
https://preview.aclanthology.org/fix-sig-urls/2025.findings-naacl.434.pdf