And if holding a century-old book in your hand can give a sense of a tangible connection to its readers over the past hundred years, what about reading the same words that have fired the imaginations of countless readers over the past hundred generations?
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
Nothing is Free Nothing is free in this world, nihil gratis . . . at least that’s what they say. I’m here to tell you that something is free, at least until March 6th. That is, my “Mastering the Ablative Case” Udemy course is available at no expense to you for the next month. Why … 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
The Connection Gettysburg, Bishops, and Androids. What, you may wonder, is the connection? And what do they have to do with Latin? Well, as we’ll see, Latin is the connection. Allow me to explain. Gettysburg, Bishops, Androids, and Latin? What’s the connection? Well, let me tell you . . . Let’s start with Gettysburg. I’m not … 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.
Latin Pronunciation: Two Methods Latin pronunciation can be tricky. For instance, how do we pronounce veni, vidi, vici? Is it “vaynee, veedee, veechee” or “waynee, weedee, weekee”? Well, now, that depends. The problem is, while the Latin language itself hasn’t changed much over the past two thousand years, we’ve pronounced it any number of ways. … Read more