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Classical Academic Press on FB!Latin’s Effective History
We have been blessed to welcome a number of historical contributers to the Latin Alive series. These contributers come from several universities across the United States, each one sharing something from his own expertise and love of ancient history. These vignettes appear in the unit reading chapters along side a piece of Latin literature. Below is a small sample taken from Latin Alive Book 3. The final unit of LA3 features an excerpt from Newton’s Principia. Dr. Nodes of Baylor University writes about the incredible influence Latin Literature had on generations far beyond the fall of Rome.
The post-classical or ‘medieval’ Latin language in use from A.D. 400 to 1400 is still Latin, and it conforms in broad terms to the same principles of use as the Latin of Cicero and Vergil. What’s different is the freer use of the language in terms of the grammar, vocabulary, and regional variations, and the subject matter expressed. It was common for writers of every part of that long period to speak disparagingly of the classical authors at one time, and yet use their works and even praise them at another time. The monk and scholar, Alcuin of York, for example, is said to have kept an elder monk company as they kept vigil one night. At dawn, when the bells sounded morning prayers, the old monk continued to sleep, and immediately he was set upon by demons, who beat him terribly. The boy Alcuin later prayed, “Lord Jesus, enable me to keep the vigils, and if I will love Vergil more than the Psalms, let me be beaten too!”
But Alcuin was nothing less than a monument of classical learning. He is said to have died still reciting Vergil! How can this be? Scholars have tried to show that the two behaviors are not incompatible, if one remembers that the medievals held classical learning as a means to the goal of spiritual wisdom, and not the goal itself. They wisely could not fail to recognize the greatness of their classical Latin predecessors as an aid to gaining clarity and depth of thought and expression, and a good measure of wisdom.
- from “Latin’s Effective History” by Daniel Nodes (Latin Alive, Book 3)
To learn more about Dr. Nodes and all those who contributed such articles to the Latin Alive series, please see the page titled ”contributing historians.”
“Latin for Teachers” FREE!
Classical Academic Press is offering the Latin For Teacher Training video free online (LFC A sessions only) for about three weeks. This is part of a 3 day workshop I have given in order to train grammar school Latin teachers. I use the Latin for Children text for the video, but the strategies and resources I provide here can be used for any grammar school Latin course. This limited time offer allows FB fans to watch the material taught during the first day online for free. In order to take advantage of this limited offer please see the link below. Pass it on!
http://www.facebook.com/classicalacademicpress?sk=app_237202476309340
To see sample material and read reviews for this product, please visit the CAP website:
http://classicalacademicpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=18
Janitor Graduates from Columbia
It is that time of year when senior students across the globe make that final push through semester exams, papers, and presentations to earn the honor of graduation. Many of them have been infected for some time by that dreadful virus known as senioritis. Graduation just can’t come too soon and the world beyond looks like their oyster, offering pearls of opportunity. Sometimes, all too often in fact, they begin to lose sight of the true value of their education. We all have at some point.
A recent article about a special graduate recently grabbed my attention. A senior of another sort, Gac Filipaj (52), just earned his B.A. in Classics with honors from the University of Columbia. Mr. Filipaj has worked his way through college working the night shift as a janitor. This is a truly inspirational story. It reminds me how much I have to be thankful for, how blessed I am, and the true rewards of a wonderful education. Neither money nor position, but the richness within. Equally striking is the reason why this student was drawn towards the study of Classics over any other major. An immigrant from war-torn Yugoslavia, he was impacted the most by the writings of Seneca. “I love Seneca’s letters because they’re written in the spirit in which I was educated in my family — not to look for fame and fortune, but to have a simple, honest, honorable life.” It seems Mr. Filipaj does not have any plans for fame or fortune for himself. He says the riches of his education lie within. Learning for the sake of learning, enriching the soul. We could all take a lesson from the class notes of such a graduate.
Read the Article:
Columbia U Janitor Graduates, Will Keep Cleaning
Latin Haiku
My students really enjoy composing their own original works of Latin. Such assignments allow them to apply some colorful creativity to the routine of grammar. The exercise also proves a wonderful way to reinforce lessons in Latin grammar and syntax. I have incorporated some of these composition assignments into Latin Alive, Book 3. One such lesson is the Latin Haiku.
The Haiku, a form of Japanese poetry, is among the shortest of literary genre. It is known for its compact yet powerful means of expression. The Haiku should consist of three lines, 17 syllables in toto. The first line should consist of only 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line another 5 syllables. This is a wonderful way to begin exploring Latin poetry, as the Romans wrote their poetry with regard to the number and rhythm of syllables as opposed to rhyme. The Haiku typically contains themes related to nature or emotion, but you may write a bit of poetry to commemorate a person as Ennius does in the chapter reading.
Below are four examples of Latin Haiku composed by members of my 8th grade class at Grace Academy of Georgetown.
Ferus equus
In magna silva vivit
Totus sed solus
Canis effugit
Periculum nocte sed
Cadit in die
Offa suavis
suci plena rubraque
cocta perfecte
Avis non volat
Struthiocamelus est
Currit sub sole
Latin Brain Teasers
One of the Seven Laws of Teaching* states that a teacher should never attempt to begin a lesson without first having gained the attention of the student. This can be a challenge, especially when it comes to bubbly (er . . . chatty) middle school students. A strategy I have employed often and without fail is the Latin warm up. I have a Latin phrase on the board ready to go before the student come in. With very little training, students will know that as soon as they enter the classroom they are to get busy. This eliminates wasted dead time that can creep in as the teacher waits for straggles or is pre-occupied with someone or something lingering from the previous class. Such a warm up engages the students’ attention immediately and begins preparing their focus for the subject at hand – Latin. There is certainly no lack of pithy Latin phrases, but it is good to keep their attention by throwing in a puzzle or brain teaser amid the expected ancient proverb. Several of these brain teasers and puzzles have made their way into Latin Alive, Book 3. In this post we’d like to share some wonderful sources for more such diverting tidbits.
For Latin Puzzles see http://www.archimedes-lab.org/atelier.html?http://www.archimedes-lab.org/latin.html
For the Latin quote of the week, see http://www.dogtulosba.com/archives/cat_quidquid_latine_dictum_sit_altum_viditur.html
For Latin sayings, see http://www.rktekt.com/ck/LatSayings.html
For handy Latin phrases, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A218882
For palindromes, see http://villemin.gerard.free.fr/Langue/Palindro.htm
*The Seven Laws of Teaching is a treatise by John Milton Gregory that outlines the seven natural laws of teaching and how teachers may best work with such laws to maximize effectiveness. It is an excellent read and highly recommended.
March 15 – political significance
Over Spring Break I took up the task of reading Caesar and Christ: The Story of Civilization by the incomparable Will Durant. His volumes of history are highly regarded by most scholars, and I am thus far enjoying this volume of his work immensely. Today, March 15, I happened to read chapter II where I found the following: a description of candidacy for chief magistrates in Rome.
The candidate appeared in person, dressed in plain white (candidus) toga to emphasize the simplicity of his life and morals, and perhaps the more easily to show the scars he had won in the field. If elected, he entered office on the ensuing March 15. (Caesar and Christ, Durant)
Most of us remember the infamous Ides of March as the anniversary for the brutal assassination of Julius Caesar, his grand exit from the stage of political theater. According to Durant, this same date was significant to Romans as the day when their chief magistrates began office, at least during the time of the Republic. Yet this date marks the end for Caesar’s reign. Oh the irony!
One might wonder why the Romans would have chosen this date. Our politicians generally take office in early January, right after the new year begins. It was the same for the Romans whose year once began in March. (See the post titled Happy New Year) In the year 153 B.C. the consuls began to take office on the Kalends of January instead. Would the Romans have felt the heavy irony to such a permanent end to Caesar’s career on this day? We may never know for certain. But we do know that since that fateful day the meaning of the Ides of March has forever been changed. Even in their own day, men such as Cicero never had to refer directly to the assassination of Caesar, but could simply mention the Ides. At the mere utterance of that word his fellow Romans did think of no other consul, but Caesar.
CAP Book Tour, 2012
As the gentle rains bring back beautiful buds we all know what season is knocking upon our door – book fair season!
It is that time of year when many of us begin making plans to attend a conference or two or three. After a year of hard mental labor these conferences often bring a time of refreshment, encouragement, renewed inspiration, and the opportunity to browse an ocean of books. CAP seems to be visiting more conferences this season than ever before. Look below to see if we will be coming to one in your neck of the woods. I will be at those marked with the asterisks. I have been asked to present seminars at both the Association for Classical Christian Schools and the Society for Classical Learning (more on those in later posts). I hope to see some of you there!
| Conference | Where | When |
| Great Homeschool Convention – South East | Greenville, SC | March 22 |
| Great Homeschool Convention – Mid South | Memphis, TN | April 12
|
| Great Homeschool Convention – Mid West | Cincinnati, OH | April 19 |
| CHAP | Harrisburg, PA | May 11 |
| Homeschool Book Fair | Arlington, TX | May 11 – 12 |
| Great Homeschool convention – California | Long Beach, CA | May 24 |
| Florida Parent-Educators Association Convention | Orlando, FL | May 24 |
| Virginia Homeschool Convention | Richmond, VA | June 7 |
| Great Homeschool Convention – North East | Hartford, CT | June 14 |
| Association of Classical Christian Schools* | Dallas, TX | June 21 – 23 |
| Society for Classical Learning* | Charleston, South Carolina | June 27 – 29 |
| The Circe Institute Conference | Louisville, KY | July 18 |
| Texas Homeschool Coalition* | The Woodlands, TX | August 2 – 4 |
Latin Alive, Book 3 – a sneak peek!
We are excited to present a sneak peek at the third and final installment to the Latin Alive Series. We are delighted to say that this text will feature unadapted readings of literature, a step up from the adapted readings provided in LA2. This is because our goal all along has been to introduce young people to the wonderful world of Latin Literature. Students will be able to sample from a banquet table that provides a survey of Latin Literature from Ennius and Cato, the first poet and prose author respectively, down to Sir Isaac Newton and his famous laws of motion. The third unit will provide a poetry study as students round out their grammar lessons. This unit will feature the poets from the Golden Age of Literature and demonstrate the inspirations which they had on poets such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Tennyson. The fourth and final unit, aptly titled Latin Literature, will offer students further reading practice with concise grammar reviews. This final unit is designed for you as the teacher to use as you wish. You may complete the entire unit or pick and choose according to your preference and your classroom needs. Once students have finished this text they will have learned all the grammar necessary to read virtually any piece of Latin they should so choose. Thus they may follow the LA series with any reading program that should interest them. It is our hope that the wide selections of readings they encounter in LA3 will whet their appetite for the various genres of Latin available. Please peruse the grammar lessons and reading selections provided below.
Latin Alive! Book 3
Table of Contents
Introduction
Unit One: Indicative vs. Subjunctive
Chapter One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
noun declension review; irregular noun vis; gerund and gerundive
Chapter Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
verb review: present system, active and passive; ablative of means and agent; present participle; impersonal verbs
reading: Arbores ad Rogos Faciendos Caeduntur (Ennius)
Chapter Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
verb review: perfect system, active and passive; perfect passive participle; deponent verb review
reading 1: De Bello Hannibalico, Liber VIII (Ennius)
reading 2: Fabii Cunctatoris Elogium, Liber IX (Ennius)
Chapter Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
subjunctive mood; present subjunctive; irregular subjunctives; independent subjunctive
reading: De Agri Cultura, Praefatio (Cato)
Chapter Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
imperfect subjunctive; simple conditions; future less vivid
reading: De Agri Cultura, iii (Cato)
Chapter Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
perfect subjunctive; pluperfect subjunctive; sequence of tenses; indirect command
reading 1: De Agricultura, i – xiii (Varro)
reading 2: De Agricultura, i – xiii (Varro)
Unit 1 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
historical reading: “ Early Latin Literature” by Alden Smith
Latin reading: De Lingua Latina, V. iv (Varro)
Unit Two: Subjunctive Clauses
Chapter Seven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
purpose review; purpose clause; future imperative
reading: Epistula Corneliae, Matris Gracchorum (Nepos)
Chapter Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
indirect question; indirect statement; exclamatory accusative
reading: Oratio in Catilinam Prima (Cicero)
Chapter Nine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
irregular verb, fio; ablative case: comparison, degree of difference, respect
reading: De Bello Gallico I:i – ii (Caesar)
Chapter Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
result clause; cum clauses: time, cause, concession
reading: Ab Urbe Condita, XXX. xxx (Livy)
Chapter Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
countrary to fact conditionals; doubting clauses
reading: Hannibal (Nepos)
Chapter Twelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
fearing clauses; genitive and ablative of quality
reading: Naturalis Historia, Liber XXXVI. xiv (Pliny the Elder)
Unit 2 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
historical reading: “Catiline” by Christopher Schlect
Latin reading: Bellum Catilinae IX et X (Sallust)
Unit Three: Latin Poetry
Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Latin poetry; meter and scansion; elision; hendecasyllabic and sapphc
reading: Catullus I et LI
Chapter Fourteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
relative clause of characteristic; dative of direction; dactylic hexameter
reading: Aeneid I.i-xxxiii (Vergil)
Chapter Fifteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
dative with compound verbs; objective genitive; alcaic meter
reading 1: Ode I.xxxvii (Horace)
reading 2: Ode III.xxx (Horace)
Chapter Sixteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
proviso clause; dum clause; poetry review
reading: Metamorphoses, Liber V (Ovid)
Unit 3 Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Historical reading: “The Latin of John Milton” by Grant Horner
Latin Reading: Elegaica Secunda (Milton)
Unit Four: Latin Literature and Grammar Review
Chapter Seventeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
accusative review
reading: Institutio Oratoria, Liber I.i-vii (Quintillian)
Chapter Eighteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
pronoun review
reading: Peregrinatio Aetheriae (Egeria)
Chapter Nineteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
dative review
reading: Biblia Vulgata, Evangelium secundum Mattheum, XXVIII (St. Matthew)
Chapter Twenty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
genitive review
reading: Confessio (St. Patrick)
Chapter Twenty One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ablative review
reading: Carolus Magnus (Einhard)
Chapter Twenty Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
conditional review
reading: Magna Charta (The Twenty Five Barons)
Chapter Twenty Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
participle review
reading: Disputatio pro Declaratione Virtutis Indulgentiarum (Luther)
Chapter Twenty Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
subjunctive clause review
reading: Rex Henricus VII (Bacon)
Unit 4 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
historical reading: “The Effective History of Latin” by Daniel Nodes
Latin reading: Philosphiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, 1726 (Newton)
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pronunciation Guide
Reference Charts
Glossary by chapter
Unit Tests (Teacher’s Edition Only)
Glossary
Leap Year and Julius Caesar
2,057 years ago the first leap year was celebrated. It was the year 45 B.C. (or 608 A.U.C.) and Julius Caesar had been named Pontifex Maximus. As the high priest of Rome he gained control over the Roman calendar; a very powerful office indeed as the High Priest had the power to interpret the omens and decide on which days public meetings, votes, and even declarations of war could be held. The Roman calendar by this time, however, had some major problems. The seasons were off from their assigned months. The original calendar had been created by Romulus and was based on the phases of the moon and a ten month agricultural cycle. Later rulers had added two more months, but by Caesar’s day they did not fall in the proper seasons. Caesar hired Sosigenes, an Egyptian astronomer, to help him create a new solar calendar for Rome and for the world. Caesar moved the first day of the year from March to January. He balanced the lengths of the months with alternating days of 30 or 31, but left February with only 29. He then gave February the Bissextile, which was the first leap day. The bissextile came once every four years. In these leap years, February had 30 days. This gave the new Julian Calendar, as he called it after himself, 365.25 days. The seventh month, the month of Caesar’s birth, was renamed July in his honor. After his adopted son and heir, soon to be known as Augustus, took control of the empire he decided to follow the lead of his predecessor. Augustus renamed his own birth month August. At that time, however, August had only 30 days. It was not fitting for the emperor’s month to be shorter than July, so he took another day from February, leaving it with only 28 and giving August 31.
The calendar has remained relatively unchanged from Caesar’s day until this. February is still shortchanged, with a little redemption only once every fourth year. There has, in fact, been only one significant change since Caesar’s leap year decree. In the 16th century A.D. the Church began to realize that something was terribly amiss with the calendar. The Easter Holiday, whose date is determined by the equinox, was off by ten days. (1600 years later and only a ten day error!) At the Council of Trent in A.D. 1545 Pope Gregory XIII commissioned the astronomers Christopher Clavis and Luigi Lilio to determine the problem and reform the calendar. They discovered that the Julian Calendar was off by 11 minutes and 14 seconds. That is a difference of just .0078 days! Amazing. In order to better align the calendar with the rotations of the heavens, they created the Century Leap Year Rule. Three out of every four centennial years ( a year divisible by 100) are “common.” That is, they are a leap year. No centennial year, however, can be a leap year if divisible by 400. For that reason the year A.D. 2000 was not a leap year. Did you notice? That centennial rule will not come into play again until A.D. 2400, unless another ruler decides to reform the calendar again before then. For now, Pope Gregory’s mandate to tweak the Julian Calendar earned him the right to rename our calendar after himself. But remember, while the modern Calendar may be called Gregorian, it has Roman written all over it.
Nota Bene: If you find this post interesting check out the other calendar post titled “Happy New Year!”
Latin Alive Book 1 offers a lesson and activity on the Julian Calendar in the appendix for the Teacher’s Edition.
Roman Helmet from Ancient Britain
- Artistic rendering of a Roman helmet found in Britain.
Long covered by the sands of time, a beautifully ornate Roman helmet was unveiled today in Leicestershire, England. A former teacher and amateur archaeologist stumbled upon the find nearly ten years ago. Many treasures from the days of Roman rule in Britain have been unearthed, but this helmet may be the most unique. It was so covered by dirt and rust that it seems it was almost overlooked. It was used as a “rusty bucket” in which to gather the seemingly more valuable items in the area. The iron helmet, overlaid with silver leaf, is now estimated to be worth more than $460,000. The find is indeed extraordinary. Very few helmets of this quality and condition have been found.
“The helmet doesn’t seem to be damaged, so it could have been taken in battle but I think that’s not terribly likely,” Peter Liddle, community archaeologist for Leicestershire County Council, told Reuters.
“I think two things are the most likely — this belonged to a Briton who has fought in the Roman Army and got back home in one piece or it was a diplomatic gift from the Romans to a local ruler to cement an alliance,” he added.