Latin course Classical Latin 301: Reading Roman Authors

1. 01: Caesar's Gallic War

Any Latin student should have read "De Bello Gallico",... more Any Latin student should have read "De Bello Gallico", Julius Caesar's account of his campaigns in modern-day Switzerland, France and Belgium. It's a must-read and the style is clear and straight-forward, so why not make it your first text in authentic Latin? less

2. 02: Cicero on Friendship

"De Amicitia" is an important timeless piece of Roman... more "De Amicitia" is an important timeless piece of Roman prose, written by Cicero in 44 BC. If you haven't encountered it yet, we shall then look at all the irregular forms of the verb "velle". less

3. 03: Phaedrus' Fables of Aesop

Phaedrus was a Roman slave who translated Aesop's fables to... more Phaedrus was a Roman slave who translated Aesop's fables to good Latin. As the original Greek texts have mostly been lost, it is Phaedrus who shaped our view of these well-known fables that you can still find in children's books around the world. Even though they were translated into verse form, the fables are still a lot easier to read than any other Latin verse text. less

4. 04: Martial's witty epigrams

If Aesop & Phaedrus shaped our view of fables, Martial... more If Aesop & Phaedrus shaped our view of fables, Martial shaped the genre of epigrams. He refined the Greek genre and made it what it is today: short, witty lines about people to lay open the funny and the ridiculous. A delightful way to practice Latin! Additional focus: the Conjunctive of the past tense and of the pluperfect tense. less

5. 05: Catullus' poems to Lesbia

Catullus' love poems have to be another Roman classic. We... more Catullus' love poems have to be another Roman classic. We will look at several of them: poems 5, 70, 75 and 85, running the gamut of his relationship with the elusive Lesbia, whom historians still haven't conclusively identified. Additionally, there is a grammar section on the Gerundive. less

6. 06: Tacitus on Germany

Tacitus wrote two books on Roman history, the "Annals" and... more Tacitus wrote two books on Roman history, the "Annals" and the "Histories". Unfortunately we don't have complete versions of either; a lot of information was lost. Today I'd like to propose to you the beginning of his book "Germania", a text about the ways of the Germanic tribes in Roman times. Anyone who has been to modern-day Germany will easily spot the humor. less

7. 07: Seneca's letters

Seneca, another must-read in Roman literature. His letters... more Seneca, another must-read in Roman literature. His letters ("Epistula") mostly cover matters of conduct or philosophy; awesome insights into the Roman way of thinking, as well as their behaviors and customs. Today, let's read what he wrote about treatment of slaves. less

8. 08: Livy's "Ab Urbe Condita"

Livy wrote the official history of the Roman empire, "Ab... more Livy wrote the official history of the Roman empire, "Ab Urbe Condita", trying to cover all happenings since the earliest mythological origins of Rome. The excerpt I've chosen deals with a women's rebellion that you certainly haven't read about in history books. less

9. 09: Cornelius Nepos' biographies (Atticus)

Marcus Cornelius Nepos may not be on every Latin class's... more Marcus Cornelius Nepos may not be on every Latin class's hit list, but his biographies of early Roman and Greek military leaders are nonetheless very interesting for our understanding of the people he's describing. This excerpt is about his friend Atticus. If you haven't studied my 201 course, you may want to ask me to show you his account of Hannibal's death instead; I found it a more exciting read. less

10. 10: Pliny the Younger & the eruption of Mt Vesuvius

A truly breath-taking eyewitness account of the eruption of... more A truly breath-taking eyewitness account of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius that buried Pompeii in 79 BC, related to Tacitus in a letter. One of my personal favorites. less

11. 11: Suetonius and the Caesars

Suetonius was a Roman historian who wrote about all of the... more Suetonius was a Roman historian who wrote about all of the Caesars up to his time. Today, let's study an excerpt from what he wrote about Augustus. Everyone knows of Augustus' reign and his popularity, but we shall learn about his character and the kind of person he is! less

12. 12: Plautus' plays

The playwright Plautus is inseparable from the idea of... more The playwright Plautus is inseparable from the idea of entertainment in ancient Rome. He lived between 254 BC and 184 BC. Because of that, his are some of the earliest Latin texts we have, and many if not all of the Roman authors we read so far would have seen Plautus' plays. Even now, more than 2000 years in the future, we can still relate to the play "Menaechmi". less

13. 13: Cicero's orations

We already admired Cicero's style in "De Amicitia", but... more We already admired Cicero's style in "De Amicitia", but wait and see his scathing rhetorics as a prosecutor! The case of Gaius Verres was a well-known one to all Roman people, and this is where yet-unknown Cicero shone for the first time. less

14. 14: Horace's odes

Horace, another well-known name in Latin literature. His... more Horace, another well-known name in Latin literature. His odes were written in exquisite, very strict Greek-style rhythms that are hard to render in English - yet another reason to read them in Latin! less

15. 15: Juvenal's satires

Juvenal's satires criticize a lot of aspects of Roman life,... more Juvenal's satires criticize a lot of aspects of Roman life, and of course he's always looking to ridicule the follies of his Roman contemporaries as well. A very enjoyable read. less

16. 16: Ovid's metamorphoses

An epic masterpiece, connecting all known Roman myths,... more An epic masterpiece, connecting all known Roman myths, legends and actual historic episodes into a single storyline and 7 books worth of exquisite hexameter. If you don't know how to read hexameter yet, we'll cover that as well in this lesson. less

17. 17: Virgil's Aeneid

Am I supposed to tell you about the Aeneid? It's only one... more Am I supposed to tell you about the Aeneid? It's only one of the most well-known works of literature in Latin. Unfortunately it's also one of the most difficult works of literature in Latin, so we're studying it late. less

18. 18: Lucretius' philosophical poetry

Titus Lucretius Carus was celebrated as one of the greatest... more Titus Lucretius Carus was celebrated as one of the greatest poets of his time, earning praise even by Ovid. Today, we shall read an excerpt of his "De Rerum Naturae", which advocates Epicureanism. less

19. 19: Virgil's eclogues

Virgil's eclogues are poems in a rural setting with many... more Virgil's eclogues are poems in a rural setting with many pastoral themes, but despite that dealing with everything from love to politics. In structure these poems are simpler than the Aeneid, but there are a whole lot more unknown words (names of trees and bushes and the like). less

20. 20: Your Choice!

Missing an author? Want to read more or other texts of the... more Missing an author? Want to read more or other texts of the authors I introduced? Choose this lesson if you want to read a different text, and then just send me a message to tell me which text you picked. If you don't have any ideas, we can also just read the mystery text for which I uploaded the slides. Try to make out who the author is! less

Course plan

Skills involved