You know, every now and then I take a step back from the stress of academic demands and actually look at what I have been doing. For some reason it always comes back to Latin for me. I mean we, as in all of us who contribute to this blog, are learning and translating a language that is more than 2,000 years old. That is AMAZING. Truly amazing. We are reading the actual words written by Caesar or Cicero. How cool is that?
Anne
3 comments:
Anne,
I know exactly what you mean, mutatis mutandis...because I too deal with daily academic stress in both teaching and learning. My existential drama this week: are people going to get the neauters (Latin I) and the result clauses (latin III)? BUT when I seat down to write my essays and I read the original Latin (these days I am dabbling in Lucan's epic poem Bellum Civile), I feel that all the subjunctives in the world and more are worth it to make this moment possible. I mean, once you realize that the Romans have said and done it all, it's hard to get worked up about every day mundane things...remember what Seneca was saying? That once you ascend that steep slope you are actually on level ground and from that top you see everybody else struggling in heights but way below you? Wasn't that a crazy blended metaphor?! But so true!
Victoria Erit Mea!
E.
I love Seneca. He is probably my favorite Latin author ever. It is 2,000 yrs later and I feel like he is talking directly to ME. We have a connection. ; )
Anne
I totally agree with you Anne! Latin is not strictly school for me, but something I truly enjoy studying!
-Danielle
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