Latin Lovers

Steadily declining grades from U.S. students in math, history, science, and reading are leading some school systems to turn to an unlikely ally in their quest for higher standards: Latin. Although considered a dead language, Latin provides a solid basis for studying most of the traditional school subjects. Science still uses Latin for medical terminology and species classification, for example. And due to the centuries-long influence of the Latin-speaking Roman Empire, the language is helpful in studying world history, English, and Romance languages such as Spanish, French, and Italian.

Public high schools and even some elementary schools offer more Latin classes now than they did 10 years ago, and enrollment in those classes has increased. Sales of Latin textbooks and materials are on the rise, and according to The College Board, the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement Latin exams for college credit has risen 95 percent since 1993.

Although the recent interest in Latin is significant, the language is still not as important of a subject as it was in the past. Mainly because it was the language of the Catholic Church, almost 50 percent of American students were studying Latin in 1895. By the time the Vatican allowed churches to use their native languages in 1962, less than 7 percent of the U.S. student population was studying Latin.

Learn more about Latin with the books listed below! Studete bene (study well)!

Latin For Beginners
By Angela Wilkes and John Schakell
Although primarily aimed at children who might be interested in the language, Wilkes and Schakell's peppy and colorful Latin For Beginners works just as well for curious adults. The lessons are sharp and clear, and the goofy, anachronistic cartoon drawings keep the learning fun and engaging. Concerned more with a conversational approach to the language, Wilkes and Schakell's book isn't meant as an in-depth learning exercise, but it serves as a good introduction.

Cattus Petasatus: The Cat in the Hat in Latin
By Dr. Seuss and Jennifer Morrish Tunberg
Taking something familiar and translating it into a foreign language is an essential tool for learning that language. Now, beginner Latin students everywhere can rejoice because they can take a well-deserved rest from their dull textbooks with Jennifer Tunberg's clever Latin translation of Dr. Seuss' classic The Cat in the Hat. The story and the characters are the same, but the famous rhythm is different. No matter, Tunberg uses a rhythm popular in ancient Roman poetry instead. Also available: Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus.

I, Claudius
By Robert Graves
First published in 1934 and often considered to be one of the best historical novels ever written, I, Claudius is a fictional memoir set in 1st-century-A.D. Rome; a time when the city was at the height of its power, influence, and decadence. The book's amiable narrator Claudius, a real-life figure who eventually became emperor of Rome, is a member of the Roman royal family whose stuttering and physical weakness keeps him relatively safe from the constant palace intrigue. Through his keen and insightful observations, the novel details with incredible narrative power the reigns of Roman emperors Augustus, Claudius, and Caligula. As rich and engaging as it is surprisingly educational, Claudius' story continues in Claudius the God.

Metamorphoses
By Ovid
Using a series of Greco-Roman myths and legends as metaphors to illustrate the themes of change and transformation, Ovid's charming poems are one of the hallmarks of classic literature. Surviving the centuries with a generous amount of humor, imagination, and storytelling skill intact, Ovid was a major influence on such later luminaries as Chaucer, Dante, and Shakespeare. A.D. Melville ably crafts this readable translation that keeps the original's spirit and spark intact.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
By Edward Gibbon
A seminal work of European history, Gibbon's heavily researched and lengthy magnum opus was first published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. Over the course of nearly 13 centuries -- from the 2nd century A.D. to Constantinople's fall in 1453 -- Decline and Fall's rich prose follows the Roman legions as they sweep across Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and describes the complex inner workings behind the decisions of the infamous Senate. Gibbon saw the Roman Empire as a symbol for man's tendency towards self-destruction through moral decay, but even his agenda doesn't keep Decline and Fall from being an Enlightenment masterpiece.

Brunelleschi's Dome
By Ross King
A January/February 2002 Book Sense 76 Pick and the 2001 Book Sense Nonfiction Book of the Year!
"This is the fascinating story of how the dome on the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence was constructed, the engineering marvels involved, and the inventiveness and perseverance of the man behind it. An account of an amazing feat which I thoroughly enjoyed." - Deal Safrit, Literary Bookpost, Salisbury, NC

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