The good news is that there’s something for everyone. There are books for folks who want or need lots of help, there are versions for those who just want to engage the plain Latin text. If you’re somewhere in between, well, you’re covered too.
So, in the end, the big question is this: do the strengths of the exclusive focus on Ovid outweigh the drawbacks? On the whole, I think they do . . . with conditions.Â
And what, you may wonder, are the strongest features? Glad you asked.  As is the case with the first book in this series, clarity and thoroughness are the strengths of Jenney’s Second Year Latin.
The bottom line is that Latin for the New Millennium does at least reasonably well in all five categories, and better than reasonably well in most.  It’s a five tool player.Â
Ilium in Italiam Ilium in Italiam portans, that is, bringing Troy into Italy. This is one of Juno’s many complaints against Aeneas in the opening scene of Vergil’s Aeneid (I.68). Juno, however, is the villain of the story. Bringing Troy into Italy is, in fact, the theme of the epic. The blending of the valiant remnant of Ilium with … Read more
Clear and Thorough Clear and thorough are the first words that come to mind when I think of Jenney’s First Year Latin. No, those words don’t evoke a sense of excitement. But excitement is not the reason that this textbook series dominated high school Latin programs in the mid-late twentieth century. Excitement only goes so far. … Read more
Meet Quintus Meet Quintus – Quintus Horatius Flaccus, that is. We generally call him Horace, one of the greatest poets of antiquity. He’s best known today among non-Latinists for his phrase carpe diem (Horace, Odes 1.11). And meet Quintus we do, on the very first page of Maurice Balme’s and James Morewood’s Oxford Latin Course. The student’s … Read more
What’s the best way to teach (or learn) Latin? Regardless of our particular pedagogical philosophy, most of us feel the need to employ a textbook in some capacity. I’ve used a wide variety of textbooks as a student, a teacher, a parent, and a tutor.  I’m hoping to share the fruit of that experience here.
Latin has far more importance than simply the language of ancient Rome.  The Latin language, its literary influence, and the historical and cultural connections that come with it have been an intrinsic part of western culture for the past two millennia.Â