Goodbye Blogspot (Hello Ning!)

Dear all---if there still anyone out there!

Here is a message in the bottle, for those who want to follow up on the vagaries of Latin (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) taught by yours truly. I thought it was time for an upgrade, and the IT gods suggested I try Ning.

I have gone ahead and started a site, and I can't wait to see what everyone is up to this year. Latin or not, you know it's all about Rome in final analysis!

Check it out

http://mylatinexperience.ning.com/

If you cannot sign up for it, send me an e-mail at emanolar@cas.usf.edu and I will send you an invitation to join.

Latina Vivat! See you in cyberspace,

Vestra

Eleni

A question...

So... I sometimes pick random passages in Latin and try to decipher every bit of the grammar and how each word functions in the sentence, et cetera. (I promise, it's only when I'm bored and feeling quite geeky.)

Today, I'm stumped on this one...

"... quia fortis est ut mors dilectio
dura sicut inferus aemulatio..." (from the Vulgate translation of Song of Solomon)

"... Because love is as strong as death
Envy as hard as hell..."

Why are "mors" and "inferus" in the nominative? (They are in the nominative, aren't they?) I'm assuming that it has something to do with this being verse, but I'm still wondering if there's a particular reason.


~ Rachael

Spock says Latin is logical.

:D


Latin Club T-Shirt, EHS, 2002 by ~OminousBaltross on deviantART

~Rachael

Vale Latin 1 and 2...

I had originally taken some Latin in high school, though when it came for me to meet the language requirement in order to graduate, I felt that my Latin knowledge had faded over the five years since I had had Latin in high school. Thus I opted not to take the test that determines your foreign language aptitude and can give you your foreign language credit if you pass. I’m glad that I decided to take both Latin 1 and 2. The class reminded and reinforced many of the things that I had learned in high school and very quickly even taught me new things. It was a good feeling being able to translate increasingly difficult passages throughout the two semesters and exercising my Latin ability in this manner truly gave me a sense of acquiring aptitude in another language. Though there is still more that I can learn about the language, I now feel confident in my ability to understand Latin, and I plan to continue my study of the language so that my Latin knowledge does not fade again.

Chris Griesbach

Latin today

I think Latin faces peculiar challenges in terms the Latin user’s maintenance of the language when compared to other foreign language options available in American schools. Unlike Spanish, French, German, Chinese, or even sign language, Latin is not used in contemporary society. Speaking a language in everyday interactions or at least on a regular basis is one of the most valuable methods for a speaker to exercise and reinforce their knowledge of the language, either “use it or lose it”. Latin, however, does not have this advantage. The basic curriculum for teaching Latin in America reflects this as well, as most school Latin programs do not stress the speaking of Latin but instead focus on written translation. The Latin user, therefore, has limited options when it comes to practicing and reinforcing their Latin abilities. There are, however, many texts written in Latin that one may translate in order to do this, such as “Metamorphoses” by Ovid or Virgil’s “Aeneid”. I, on the other hand, in order to maintain my Latin knowledge, have decided start on a smaller scale and have purchased “Winnie the Pooh” in Latin, which I plan on working through sometime this summer.

Chris Griesbach

Latin and history

Latin and the culture it is derived from is the foundation of of many Western cultures and languages. Understand a culture's language is imperative in fully understand the culture. Latin helps us into understanding our past. Many famous documents, such as the Bible, were originally written in Latin. It is important to fully understand the language in order to accurately translate if from one language to another.

Cassdiy Camantigue

Latin and medicine

I have just completed my second semester of latin. I originally took latin in the hope it would help prepare me for medical school. I learned a lot in the class, however I don't feel that much of what I learned will help me in medical school. I do feel that if I decide to learn another language that I will be better prepared since latin is the basis of many languages. Latin is a very challenging language.

Cassidy Camantigue

What Latin has taught me

Even though Latin is not actively spoken today, it is the foundation of many languages that still spoken. I took Spanish in high school. I noticed many similarities in the vocabulary and grammar. The verbs are conjugated very similarly in both languages. I also was surprised by how many words in English can be derived from Latin. I feel that taking Latin will make learning other languages simpler. Latin is a very challenging language to learn, which also makes it more rewarding. Latin is far from a “dead” language for it is the foundation from many modern spoken languages.

Cassidy Camantigue

The Roman Empire

This week I had a very humbling thought. With the state of our country and the tension world wide between other countries and the United States, I wondered how long the US will be around. I would like to think that the United states will be around forever, but who really knows how long this great country will last? I then thought about the Roman Empire and how it was the greatest empire of it's time and possibly the greatest empire of all time, and it too came to and end. Granted the Roman empire lasted for the better part of 1200 years but it to came to an end. But I thought of how the US has been around for only about 200 years and has already been involved in multiple wars. I can't help but wonder will this nation last for a long time like the roman empire, will it be recognizable in 1200 years, or will it come to an end long before that time?

Nathan Watts

It is finally over

Well, I took my last Latin test ever. That is if you don't count anatomy in medical school. Supposedly all the anatomical terms are derived from Latin. But I am ecstatic that Latin is over! Two long semester of studying and memorizing terms, conjugations, and declensions is finished. I did learn a lot, but going into the class I thought I would learn tons of Latin that I could directly relate to anatomy. Instead I spent most my term learning how to conjugate verbs and decline nouns and adjectives. I did learn how to do all that stuff and I do have a better understanding of Latin and the mindset of its originators. But what makes me happier than anything is that LATIN IS OVER!!!

Nathan Watts

Latin II.

I was a little nervous coming into this semester, however my fears eventually subsided. I feel this semester was a lot more intense than latin 1. There were so many new verb tenses, and I definitely didn't think we would get up to 5 noun declensions! It just seems crazy to sit here and realize how much we really learned this semester. This class has really made me feel very accomplished. I've taken a few spanish classes before, but none of them felt quite as rewarding as Latin. I have definitely picked up a great deal of appreciation for language. I also feel as if Latin has allowed me to have a different way of thinking. The way their culture is shaped is so different from ours. It's been really neat to read the little passages in our books and obtain such a unique way of thinking. I'm not certain whether I'm going into Latin III yet or not, but I really do enjoy latin.

Alyssa Rigolo

Horace and me

Ever since chapter 1 I have felt Horace's philosophy and outlook on life is similar to my own. Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. I believe we must live for today and forget our troubled pasts. So I decided to investigate further and see what else in common we had. Sadley I was only able to skim through his first book of Odes. Heres some that I found and like:
Caelum ipsum petimus stultitia
Dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas
Siccis omnia nam dura deus proposuit neque mordaces aliter diffugiunt sollicitudines
Horace lived life to the max having fun and doing what he loved, I can only hope the rest of my days have the same outcome.
Dustin Rose

Final thoughts for this term...

And what a difficult term it has been! I had a hard time of it this term, keeping up with all the new material. I think I've managed to pick up on most things now, and even further grasp the concepts that I was having problems with. As I sit here writing this, I'm thinking of ways to stay up to date with Latin. I've collected the worksheets for the various chapters from the online folders, and even have in my possession now a Wheelock's Latin workbook. I'm also grateful to those who are sharing their information on other sources of material. I am sure that they will come in handy as the summer moves on. I am hoping to get a copy of the book for the Latin 3 course at some point, even if it is just to get a head start on making note cards. I hope everyone has a great summer, and for those of you heading into Latin 3, see you in the fall!!

Semper,
Candis B.

Farewell Cicero!

As the semester comes to a close, I will say farewell to dear Cicero...sarcasm anyone?  I am just kidding! I actually enjoyed Cicero and as a result have a newfound respect for him.  I came across a great site devoted to Cicero hosted by the University of Texas.  If you are interested in learning more about Cicero, it has a great chronology of his works AND an amazing bibliography section with the names of MANY articles and books. Enjoy!

http://www.utexas.edu/depts/classics/documents/Cic.html

Anne L.

More Latin Resources

Another site I used on and off this semester was Classics unveiled. They have sections on Classical mythology, Roman history, items about everyday life in Rome, and a section called Latin Wordstock (which contains both vocabulary in Latin and English derivatives of Latin).
Salvete!
Dawn M. Clark

Benefits of Latin

I think that Latin is one of the most useful languages I've tried to learn. I grew up in a Spanish program and learned a lot, but I think Latin has still been more beneficial. It's used everywhere I've discovered. Signs, books and medical terms all stem from this language. Even many of the worlds languages today have taken the Latin roots for their own meaning. I just think learning Latin vocab and how to efficiently translate has lead to to a better understanding of language in general.

It may have been tough for me to memorize at times, but it was truly worth it. I think Latin is a beautiful language and it is something everyone should look into because it really is transitory no matter what your native tongue is.

Parting Gifts

This is my last semester here and as an advanced Latin student I wanted to leave some parting gifts.  These are some great resources for students both who are new to Latin and the more advanced.  

This is the best online Latin dictionary EVER created...Ever.

http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe

This is a great database of Latin texts.  They are untranslated, but are great if you want to print out the Latin.

http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/

This is a database of both translated and untranslated texts.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.html

This is another great database of translated and untranslated texts.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

Enjoy!!!

Anne L.

Want to learn more about roman History?

My husband was a history major, and one of his favorite areas of study is Ancient Rome. This means that I often catch bits of materials he is using, like watching the HBO series Rome or listening to podcasts about Roman history on long car trips. Luckily, I too enjoy these things and consider continued curiosity about things part of what makes life worth living. The blogger's intent is to cover the history of Rome "beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending (someday) with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire." You can listen to the podcasts on-line, or download them for your computer or mp3 player. Mike Duncan, the blogger, also provides other materials such as images and maps. The old site is here on blogspot. The new site is on typepad. Gaude!

Dawn M. Clark

Latin study tools

Studying Latin is not something that has been coming easily for me. It seems I always need extra practice to get a concept down. This has led me to searching out other Latin resources on the internet. One of the items I found was a site called Study Stack. Study Stack is made to sync up with several different Latin textbooks, including Wheelock's, Cambridge, and more; But it is still useful. Lots of flash card and quiz exercises are available. i hope that some of you may find this website as helpful as I did.

Dawn M. Clark

Latin in Rome

Last summer I attended an archaeological field school in Sicily and had a three-day layover in Rome on the way. I took this time to see some of the historic sites in the eternal city, though for anyone who wants to know how much time they should spend in Rome, three days was not nearly enough time to see everything. In that time, however, I did check out some of the ancient Roman ruins and buildings still standing. There were Latin inscriptions on several of the buildings, and I’ve included pictures of inscriptions on the Pantheon and on a fragment of the Coliseum. Unfortunately, I was not able to understand these and other Latin inscriptions that I saw throughout the city. However, hopefully when I return to Rome someday to do all the things that I didn’t get to do the first time around, my knowledge of Latin that I have acquired over the last two semesters will help me appreciate the experience more =)

Chris Griesbach

Cicero Credit Crunch

Hey all!

A friend shared this article with me, and I thought I would pass it along. He's an economist, which explains why he even stumbled across the this article to begin with. The article discusses how Cicero's letters helped economic historians track the first credit crisis in the Late Republic.

I was reminded about it with the talk of money today concerning paper topics. May it prove to be helpful!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/28/credit-crunch-roman-republic-lecture


Shannon

Latin is everywhere!

I should have posted this a while ago when I saw it, but I'm quite forgetful. About three to four weeks ago on an episode of Lost there were characters that were speaking in fluid Latin. I thought it was pretty cool and made me wish that we actually learned how to speak and understand verbal Latin. The characters were this group known as the "others" and it was their special way of communicating to each other without other people knowing what they were saying. I could understand some of what they were saying, but they could speak it quite fast. I just found it neat that Latin appears even in our television shows we watch...or at least what I watch, I dunno about you all lol.

-Robert Speich

Something that made me smile...

...while making my Latin flashcards.

Interesting thought isn't it? I freely admit to being a hard core video game addict when it comes to the role-playing genre of games. There is a character in Final Fantasy IX whose name is Vivi. I just started playing the game over a few weeks ago, and honestly never seriously thought to much of the names. Last week or so, while working on my flashcards I came across the Latin adjective "vivus." Did not think much of it until I had finished the card and looked down to see "vivi" written there. It made me think of that character, and honestly how appropriate this name was. "Vivus" means alive, living - the character Vivi throughout the entire game is trying to learn what it means to be alive, and what should be treated as a living person. So, that little connection of Latin words and contemporary ideas, while making my Latin flashcards, gave me a smile.

Semper,
Candis B.

Seeing Latin in Everyday Life

One of the joys of taking Latin occured recently when I began re-reading the Harry Potter series, and immediately started picking out all kinds of Latin words and their meanings. An example is in the first book where the password to the Gryffindor tower is "Caput Draconis" or head of the dragon.

I also see Latin usage everywhere, in articles and in English words themselves, and it is quite interesting to be able to pick them apart and understand the meanings and the language structure that makes them up.

Also, the theme of the Roman world throughout the text book has been interesting, because it allows for brushing up on some western culture and history while taking a language class. I appreciate being able to get a sense of Rome and Latin and how they have affected world history up to this point, in such a diverse range of countries. I am taking Russian as well as Latin, and noticing significant similarities between the two; as a result, learning both enables the languages to complement each other (though sometimes I mix them up as well) and has helped me grasp both.

-Christian Marble, Latin II

learning a new language

I have always wondered why people come to the United States and never bother to learn English. I have always believed if you are going to live somewhere you should learn the language. While I still believe this I have a new appreciation for the difficulty associated with learning a brand new language. The past two semesters I have been attempting to learn Latin. Don't get me wrong I have learned a lot about Latin and a lot of Latin but we have only studied the grammar and translation of the language. I can't even imagine trying to learn all the grammar and how to speak a language! I have enough difficulty learning Latin without trying to learn how to speak it.

Nathan Watts

Latin Graffiti

I came across this and thought it was pretty cool. It's latin graffiti dating back to the early Christian Roman Era.



Anne L.

It has taken me all term...

To get here and actually post. I always say "I will do that later today." Well, it never really gets done, I even caught myself doing that today! But, I made it here, finally. This term has been very long it seems. We covered a lot of new material with in Latin 2. Past tense was actually kind of fun once you get the hang of translating it into English. I really did have a lot of fun with the formation of comparative and superlative adjectives. I'm curious as to what Latin 3 will bring in the Fall, and I seriously hope that I can remember everything from this last year! Anyone have any tips or ideas on how to keep everything moving forward? I forgot so much just in three weeks of Winter break, I'm really scared what a whole Summer will do! Will post again soon,

Always,
Candis B.

Veni, Vidi, Vici.

I have really enjoyed working with Latin. Although, I must admit, there are times that I feel as if I sit and just stare at the paper at an utter loss of how to possibly translate what I'm reading into English. Despite this feeling, I never give up, for I know that after just a little bit of practice, it can be conquered.

Anytime I'm around my dad, and I speak of anything regarding this class, he always says to me "Veni, vidi, vici" and then proceeds to correct himself and say "O, no, that's Italian." Well this semester allowed me to learn that it is actually Latin! It was Italian that took it from Latin. This realization really made me enjoy Latin that much more. I continue to find random phrases of Latin in everyday places. Just knowing that I can now translate these common things that are otherwise overlooked is really awesome. It's also really cool to be able to point them out and inform others that have no background in Latin and wouldn't otherwise know what the saying meant.

-Alyssa Rigolo

Fear the Wrath of Octavian

I found an interesting news story this morning on Yahoo! about archaeologists looking for Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius.

I don't think Octavian would be too pleased that someone is trying to uncover his dirty work.

Chris Copley

Latin...

So I have waited a long time to finally post in here. I must say that being in Latin 2 has allowed me to see just how much Latin I have managed to remember. This class seems very easy and even more interesting now that I am able to accurately translate things. An interesting thing happened to me recently. My mother had a friend from Greece come visit us a few weeks ago and she brought a book written in Latin to read on the plane. (I don't think I could ever read and translate a book in Latin as a past-time). Anyways, I was very happy to discover that I could somewhat translate some of the words in the book! Latin has opened new doors for me and who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to translate an entire book written in Latin!

-Ingrid Morales

Nicholson and Cicero 63

Nicholson

In many ways, the ability to send and receive letters in Cicero’s day was not so very different from our own time. Modern mail is handled by more than one carrier and travels by many different means. Trucks and planes have replaced the horses and ships of the Roman era and today’s mail may arrive at its destination much sooner than in Cicero’s time, but we still share many of the same concerns. Privacy is still an issue which we resolve with tamper-evident security envelopes rather than personal wax seals. We worry about letters getting lost or mis-directed just as Cicero did, and modern mail carriers still return undeliverable letters to the sender just as they did in Cicero’s day. There is almost as much a chance that our mail, too, will occasionally end up in the wrong hands, viewed by unwelcome readers. Like Cicero, we are just as likely to sit by the window and anxiously await the arrival of the mail carrier, and when at last we receive that long-awaited letter from some far-away friend, we may rejoice as much as Cicero rejoiced when he held in his hand a letter from his good friend Atticus. Cicero would have been impressed by the fact that we can send a letter half-way around the world in just a few days, but it’s hard to imagine a modern letter-writer asking the mailman to relay some personal information to our friend when he delivers the letter we wrote. Cicero may have liked many aspects of modern mail service, but his version of the postal service has much to recommend it as well.

Andrea Harper



Atticus XIII. 52

This letter is interesting because it was written just 3 months before Caesar was killed. Cicero describes how worried he was when Caesar showed up at the villa of Philippus with 2000 bodyguards! Where was he going to put everyone when they showed up at his villa the next day? Apparently, Caesar’s friend, Cassius Barba, must have been concerned for Cicero as well. He provided him with a guard (custodes dedit) and helped him set up a camp for the soldiers in an empty field (castra in agro). You get the impression that the soldiers must have been a bit rowdy and out of control as they passed through Italy on their way to Rome. Cicero mentions that the only time they behaved themselves was when they passed the estate of Dolabella and lined up on the left and right of Caesar’s horse as they passed along the road. This orderly formation for the benefit of Dolabella may have been Caesar’s way of honoring (or appeasing) the man to whom he had promised a consulship before deciding to keep it for himself. At any rate, the unruly and disorderly procession of his ‘bodyguards’ could not have won Caesar very many friends among the general populace. It may be for this reason that Cicero was glad to see him go and pleased that he didn’t have to invite him back.
Andrea Harper

Cicero's letter 63 and John Nicholson's article

Letter 63 (Att. 13.52)

Cicero wrote this letter to Atticus in 45 BCE informing him about J. Caesar's recent visit during the Saturnalia celebration. Although Cicero claims not to regret Caesar's stay, he describes the incredible crowd that followed Caesar; his army which filled the villa, his entourage which was richly received and his slaves and freedmen who also had to be entertained. Although his visit may have been welcome, it seems that it was also a tremendous financial responsibility to provide a sumptuous feast for all who accompanied the leader, which is perhaps why Cicero made the comment that he would not say "amabo te, eodem ad me cum revertere" to his guest- once was apparently enough. However, this letter does provide interesting insight into how feasts were carried out and how important visitors were received during this period.

"The Delivery and Confidentiality of Cicero's Letters"
John Nicholson

Nicholson's article describes the postal service, or lack there of, during Cicero's life time. He indicates that due to the absences of complaint regarding cost and the frequency of Cicero's letters, it must have been relatively inexpensive and easy to send letters during the late Republic, at least within Italy and closer regions. There were a variety of means by which one could send a letter, either hired letter carriers, personal slaves or employees, or friends and acquaintances who happened to be travelling to a particular region. However, there were difficulties in this system. Privacy was not always guaranteed; the letter could either be intercepted by spies or read by the courier himself. Nicholson provides many examples of coded speech that Cicero employed to prevent spies from understanding his messages. Cicero would also write in Greek at times for this purpose. However, the safest method was to entrust any sensitive information to the letter carrier to relay when the letter was delivered (if the courier himself was trustworthy). Multiple copies of a letter were also sent out with different carriers at times. Some routes were not safe and some couriers not prompt, this helped to ensure at least one copy would arrive safely to its recipient. Despite these precautions, Nicholson concludes that although there was no postal service, sending and receiving letter during Cicero's life time was easy and semi-dependable.

Andrea Johnson

Nicholson,

The Nicholson article examines the various avenues in which a Roman nobleman may send a letter, and the dangers in concealing confidentiality. Cicero is an extremely easy study because so much of his correspondence survives. As many of my colleagues point out, Republican Rome did not have a postal system as we know it today. It was not until Augustus that any resemblance to one might have been formed. Cicero had many ways that he could send a letter. Depending on his needs he could send his correspondence with a slave, a friend, or other less reliable individuals. All had their advantages and disadvantages; slaves could be expensive, friends happening to travel to a letters destination could understandably be a rare occurrence, and publicani and other messengers might be less reliable. This brings Nicholson to the other longer study of the different methods that Cicero could employ in maintaining the integrity of his correspondence. He could use wax seals, the double sending of the same letter, the use of Greek, code, or the omission of proper names. Many of these methods reveal to me why so many of Cicero's letters at times are so vague, and may appear meaningless. Nicholson also highlights some of the more comical aspects of Cicero's character in pointing out that he would sometimes attempt to intercept a letter that he felt was written prematurely out of anger, or that he might write Atticus no more than a few words. The latter quirk reminds me of my mother in law (bless her heart) who will call daily just to see how things are going... yikes! Finally, Nicholson reminds us how these letters were still in danger of being intercepted long after they had reached their destination. Romans had not discovered paper shredders yet, and they hoarded them so that they would be preserved for college students to toil over 2000 plus years later; "Cicero's anxiety over the confidentiality of his correspondence extended into the future, and toward the end of his life he began to betray a concern to leave an edited and sanitized corpus of letters for posterity" (Nicholson, 62). Cicero of course lived in a turbulent time in Roman history. The forces that were in motion were bigger than he ever realized and he died because of it. Nonetheless, these dangers were ever present. One could conclude, why might Cicero be so concerned with maintaining such a steady stressful supply of correspondence always on the ready; Nicholson reminds us, "in times of crisis, frequent correspondence with friends was vital to Cicero's successful political negotiations and peace of mind" (34).

Letter 74

This is an incredibly interesting article written to Cassius. In its brevity Cicero laments his standing with Marc Antony, "consero servimus" (2.10). Caesar had recently been assassinated and Antony made sure to fill the void. The trouble was that he accused Cicero of being the ringleader behind the deeds of Brutus and Cassius; "vestri enim pulcherrimi facti ille furiousus me principem dicit fuisse" (1.4). Though he clearly is angered by Marc Antony he as well seems to be slightly put off by the insinuation that he was behind their actions. Though he acknowldeges the "pulcherrimi facti," he as well says to Cassius that it his responsibility that Antony still remains to stir trouble; "utinam quidem fuissem [principem]!" (1.5). This letter sheds even more light on the degenerate matters in Rome. As well Cicero shares his hopes with us that Cassius' actions might indeed save the Republic. Alas, he was wrong in his hopes but right about Antony.

Asa A. Cabbage

Sorry I forgot to sign. The post below is Brett Collins'

Letter 63 and The Delivery and Confidentiality of Cicero's Letters

Letter 63
This letter is written to Atticus in 45 BCE while Cicero is at his villa in Puteoli. He outlines a Saturnalian dinner party in which Caesar attends with 2,000 of his soldiers. Cicero describes the dinner as being pleasant and with festivities for all types of people. He describes that to his delight, there was no talk of politics and the conversations focused around literary works. Despite the redeeming qualities of this dinner, in true Ciceronian form, he states that although Caesar was a pleasant guest, one time is enough and hopes to avoid another dinner party with the general.



Nicholson Article
This article focuses on the methods and perils of delivering letters during the Late Republican Era in which Cicero was so avidly writing. Nicholson quickly establishes that there was no established postal service until Augustus became emperor. However, that does not mean there was ever a shortage for couriers for hire. The lack of an establish government institution to deliver letters meant that letters and their contents were incredibly vulnerable. A curious courier or spy could very easily intercept a letter and divulge its secrets. However this prompted wealthy citizens to hire personal couriers, often slaves or freedmen, whom they could trust.
As I have quickly learned this semester, Cicero suffered from a severe case of epistolary addiction. The political and social climate in Rome demanded constant updating and forced Cicero into daily exchange of letters with contacts as far as Macedonia. I found it very interesting that Cicero would sometimes send a letter merely because there was a courier leaving and he would hate to miss the opportunity for interaction. This possibly tells me that despite his "friendships" and constant time in the spotlight, Cicero was a lonely individual longing for an equal to relate to. However it could also be seen as a life preservation tactic - if he is up to date with current affairs, then he can better prepare himself.
Ultimately, the efficiency and frequency of visits from letter carriers allowed Cicero to produce 37 extant books and 37 lost books of letters that chronicle the Late Republic from an insiders view, so the current system obviously worked and proved to be a vital tool in the survival of these letters for the use of the modern scholar.

The Nicholson Article and Letter 63

The Nicholson article discusses the manner by which Cicero’s letters were delivered, their frequency, and Cicero’s apparent need to write them, even without a clear purpose. Nicholson begins by reminding the reader that during the time of the Romans there was no firmly established postal service. When reading Cicero’s letters, and considering that he wrote letters on a daily basis, the fact that there was no postal service is baffling. As Nicholson indicates there may not have been a service, but there was also no shortage of couriers either. Cicero had his letters delivered either by friends or hired couriers, and with each of these he was also aware of the dangers. Cicero knew that his letters could be read and took careful consideration when writing to make sure not too much information was revealed. Overall, the facility of letter transportation allowed Cicero to write what will the thirty-seven extant books of his letters, very impressive.

Letter 63:

Letter 63 was written by Cicero to Atticus in 45 BCE from his villa near Puteoli. The letter describe’s Caesar’s visit during the Saturnalia. Caesar brought with him 2,000 soldiers making his stay difficult for Cicero, however, not enough to reject him. Cicero describes the banquet that they shared as enjoyable, with good food, and no talk of politics. In true Cicero style, he acknowledges that Caesar was a good guest, but not one he would want to return any time soon!

-Anne

I might have to give Cicero some respect...

I was quite taken aback by Letter 74, which is a letter Cicero wrote to Cassius. It concerns how Antony wants to punish those who assassinated Caesar. On top of the that, Antony labels the murder as patricide, invoking blood laws. Cicero writes openly how Antony wants to kill Cassius, and then corrects himself. Antony wants him, Cicero, dead as well because it is widely believed that Cicero was a mastermind behind the assassination. Cicero counters this by stating that if he had been closely involved, there would be no complications following it, because Antony would have gone with Caesar. After reading the article, which stressed the issue of secrecy, it's amazing that Cicero would commit such a brass statement to paper. He doesn't cloak it even with Greek. For a man that went through pains to secure trustworthy carriers prior, Cicero no longer, it seems to me, see the need to censor himself. I find this Cicero, rather than the one hiding away in dark and savage forest, to be more compelling.

Shannon N

Cicero Assignment: Nicholson article and Letter 74.

Letter 74: What first struck me about this letter was its revelation of the stressed personages of the Late Roman Republic. Brutus and Cassius, though definitely in the limelight, were not so much so as Cicero, who had constantly exposed himself (I like the Herodotus quote at the beginning of Nicholson's article!) to the whims and mercy of the turbulent times in which he lived. Caesar had been made perpetual dictator (for life!--45/44 B.C.) and this definitely knocked out the Patrician's power holdings and threatened everyone. Or so we always hear. This letter only reveals the high-minded thinking of Cicero and the co-Conspirators of Caesar's brutal and bloody assassination. Sure, it is an excellent representation of the times, and I know that Cicero tried his best to represent the common people, but he clearly was the creme de la creme. What did Caesar holding power really threaten? It threatened one man's--in particular--nostalgic longings for Republican precedence, one man's dreams of having a very operational State where people were represented strongly and fairly. Though in all of these letters I haven't heard one thing about people's common interests or Cicero's longings for a better state. All I hear him whining about are his own interests and those of the Senators' being threatened in the sense that their long-time holdings of land, money, and power are on the verge of being taken away or limited. I'm certainly not saying Caesar was a saint. He was an anachronistic man and yet also a man of his own times. His clemency was renowned and, ut opinor, bono. Anyhow, Cicero says "O Rem Miseram," as he ruminates about the dastardly deed Cassius has done 7 months earlier, and he also asks "sed ubi sunt copiae?" because he is worried about the retribution of Octavian and Antony. Well, as he should have! (And we know that Cicero got his worst fear, and asked the soldier who murders him to "do it properly eventhough what you're doing is not proper, Soldier!"). This letter is nevertheless excellent insight into how Cicero and his countrymen articulated their plight well over 2,000 years ago. Very illuminating and rewarding translation and read.

Nicholson Article: Cicero loved to live through his letters. Letter 56, I believe, tells us this much: "in ea mihi omnis sermo est cum litteris." It isn't surprising then that an excellent article has been written about the plethora of letters Cicero sent and received, and his interest in the comings and goings of his freedman, Tiro, his friend Trebatius, his "dominum" Caesar, his wife/ex-wife Terrentia, his best friend Atticus, and brother Quintus. I found this article very intriguing (though it hasn't been my absolute favorite) because it shows we students of Cicero how he lived, what he prioritized, what he loved and despised, and much more. It peeled back the many layers to each letter we have read in class thus far and extricated teaching points that I have missed. The nuances of Cicero's letters--like avoiding direct mentioning of his "meis" (his friends and family)--and his frequent jokes and recreations of dialogue (such as in his meeting with Caesar). I found out through reading this article why Cicero did such things. Looking forward to reading more about him in the coming weeks!

Michael Jahosky

Letter 63 and John Nicholson Article

Article:

John Nicholson’s article elucidates some very practical points about transporting and safeguarding the letters for arrival at their intended destinations. He begins by making the point that there was no official postal service for Romans until the time of Augustus (cursus publicus). In Cicero’s days, messengers, tabellarii, or personal servants were employed for this service. The method was by no means safe and one could never be certain that the letters would arrive unscathed. Whether from rain, tampering or robbery, there was a constant fear of correspondences being made read by those of whom they were not intended. Various methods were employed by Cicero and others to help prevent this, or at the very least that their meaning was unknown through a method called en ainigmois (in riddles), but no method was full proof. This interesting, and very pragmatic, article presents some important research to the understanding of Cicero’s body of work.

Letter 63:

In his letter to Atticus in Rome on December 21, 45 BCE, Cicero tells of the banquet hosted by Phillipus in which Caesar was a guest. Caesar, then dictator, brought a large contingent of soldiers with him (2,000 according to the letter) and fortified the villa for safety while pitching a tent outside as well. The banquet appears to have been very elaborate and liberal entertainments (valde copiose) were made even for the freedmen and servants. Cicero mentions that Cicero was a pleasant guest but not the type you would want to have around more than once (semel satis est). An interesting note, Cicero says there was no talk of politics (spoudaion ouden) but plenty of literature (philologa). Clearly, great expense was taken to ensure the night was a success and that it was all on account of Caesar. I’m sure Cicero would have liked to say plenty more about the banquet but probably thought it wise to hold his tongue.

-Alex Seufert

Neither slow couriers, nor tampering, nor civil war can keep Cicero from writing a letter.

See comment for actual post.  

-Shannon

Cicero's Letters

The Nicholson article about the issues surrounding the delivery of Cicero's letter detailed how an individual letter encountered a variety of obstacles on its way to delivery. It was insightful because I have not considered the circumstances surrounding how a letter could be lost, manipulated, or intercepted by hostile forces. My main response to the article was the thought of how astounding it is that we have so many letters and how their topics are so varied when many wanted Cicero dead. I was also impressed with Nicholson's thorough examination of how many factors could contribute to a letter not ending up at its intended destination.

The letter I focused on was 63, which discusses dinner with soldiers. The most striking aspect of this letter is the fusion of public and private life. The personal details of Cassius Balba are mingled with not only the backdrop of Saturnalia, but also the 2000 soldiers supposedly crammed into his small villa. It is also noteworthy that the talk supposedly did not get into politics despite the presence of the soldiers. Overall, I see the letter as one which succinctly exposes many of the themes which we found in the letters: politics, personal details, daily life, and the interaction of familar characters.

Chris Copley

P.S. (in a very unrelated note, just like many of the letters which we read) A friend of mine from my time at the American Academy of Rome in 2006 posted a fantasic picture, the Aenied Facebook style!

I apologize in advance if this takes up too much space but I promise that it is worth it!

Edit: I can't seem to get the whole picture on the page but clicking on it will link you to a page where you can zoom in and see the entire thing.

The Real Roman World

Reading the First Catilinarian and letters of Cicero have made the uncertainty and insecurity of Rome more real for me than any of my readings of Syme, Wiseman or even Plutarch. The daily anxiety of reassessing relationships would have been almost unbearable. Reading Cicero has caused me to go back and change the section of my Master's thesis where I describe the world in which Catullus wrote.

Orie Byars

Cicero: Prone to Theatrics

As a former theatre geek, my approach to Cicero's orations against Catiline was strange. The speeches were written for the purpose of being spoken. When I read them I pictured how they were presented like I was preparing a scene. When he repeatedly used 'nihil' I heard him saying each one a little bit louder, a little bit faster. There are other moments when the same thing happened as he made lists. He was almost overly dramatic when he spoke as the fatherland. Only half of Cicero's effectiveness was in his actual words. The manner in which he spoke them was what truly did the damage. What we translate is a mere shadow of the actual speech given. It lacks the visual component that lent so much to the meaning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaqXlHfPrqM This video is of a girl performing the speech for her Latin class. There were several others from students. I found it interesting that this seems to be a common project amongst Latin classes.

Jennifer Hambacher

Cicero: Half man, Half amazing

When I first started to read the 1st Catilinarian, i rapidly began to resent Cicero, solely on the fact that I was spending my nights and very early mornings with him on a regular basis. However, when I took a step back and realized the historical significance of what he has provided for us and the volume of work that has survived for over 2000 years, i soon began to appreciate the importance of this man. His enormous contributions to Roman history and the Latin language are unrivaled to this day. As an avid historian, his contemporary accounts on the volatile Late Republic are priceless and provide a vital, although highly biased, into the daily workings in Rome

For me, the most interesting sides of Cicero that i have encountered are the ones presented in his letters. It is rather interesting to truly see how direct of a connection there was between Cicero's death and the death of the Republic. His borderline omniscient prediction of the Republic collapsing when he meets his death, was simply astonishing to see come true. It also seems like he and the Republic share a mental connection. As we progress through the letters, Cicero's mood and general disposition seem to mirror that of the climate in Rome. Although part of me is glad he is dead, as punishment for my late nights, it is a true joy to read historical facts from a true contemporary and to directly follow the decline and fall of the Republic through the man so closely attached.


Brett Collins

Cicero, Maybe He's Not That Bad

I’ve never been a fan of Cicero. To be quite honest, I agree with the removal of Cicero’s hands and head. There might have been cheering when I first learned the most important aspects of the orator were placed on the Rostra. How’s that for irony? I can safely say that a lot of this enjoyment stems from the fact that I’m imperialist and Cicero so clearly represents the republic. Cicero asserts as much in the 1st Catilinarian. When he dies, so does the republic.

So no, I wasn’t excited to be translating Cicero because of my previous thought on the man, but I must admit I enjoy his letters. Mostly those to his friend Atticus. Although they can be a challenge to translate because of their idioms, short hand, and Cicero’s fondness for omitting certain verbs, they’re oddly sobering. Here is a raw, exposed Cicero. I enjoy his jokes and sarcastic remarks to Atticus. I wish to know the other side of this running banter. Now that I’m privy to his personal letters, I’m actually looking forward to translating his treaty on Friendship. What type of friend did this man seek? What character traits where honored above others? How did somebody make a friend when the republic was collapsing? It shall prove interesting to see how Cicero handles friendship when his friendships didn’t always end pleasantly.

Shannon Ness

Cicero and the Forum

Few people actually take the time to think of the origins of their interests. For me, I do find it hard to plot the epicenter of when I fell in love with Latin and the Romans; maybe it was when I met my fiancee Sarah in Rome during a Summer 2006 UF Study Abroad Program, or maybe it was when I took the chance during the Spring of 2006 at UCF in my Roman History course that led me to Rome. I have always loved history, language, and art, but when I first met Cicero's writing/speaking style, I knew I had found a beautiful harmony of all three. My plunge into the Latin language began in the Summer of 2007. In the Fall of 2007 at UCF, I took an intense Latin language course and that course began with a phrase "Vixerunt." "They have lived." The intense, religious, and formal way of saying that someone has just died/been killed. I became familiarized with Cicero's biting wit right then and there, and his ingenuity in getting his point across, and I knew I wanted to learn more about this deeply complex man. Fast-forwarding through quite a bit of my own history, we come to the Spring 2009 at USF, where I've finally enrolled in a strict, focused course on Cicero. It has been such a challenge for me, who was bombarded with so much information so fast during my acquisition of the language, to plunge myself into a daily exercise of an ancient language, and to constantly test myself and my grasp of Latin grammar. This was after almost a year off from institutional Latin. History is all about finding application in the present. Knowing Cicero and his style--especially how he created a sense of space--has given me a greater appreciation for speaking intelligently (and also learning a bit of misdirection!) Anyway, before I actually write an Epic here, I wanted to simply say that being in the Roman Forum for me personally, even though I had not yet been formally introduced to Latin or even Cicero himself, has made me now realize how Cicero's choice of verbs and nouns involving movement, action, and misdirection can re-create the (often) turbulent events he lived through. The busy and bustling Forum is represented beautifully in Cicero's oratory. Applying my knowledge about Cicero and Latin now back to nearly three years ago when I was in Rome only reaffirms my determination to "master" Latin and continue to pursue my passion for history and its application in our own turbulent and changing time. If only we could go back to see how Cicero's booming and majestic voice would have projected in the Senate House--or in the sprawling and bustling Forum; for now, we'll have to settle for the imagery he conjures with his words.

Cicero-1, Catiline-0

I translated Cicero during Latin IV in Spring 2008 and I have to admit: I did not like him. However, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed translating the First Catilinarian and as a result, I have a greater appreciation for Cicero's sentence construction and I am finally beginning to understand not only his style, but rhetoric.

While we were translating the First Catilinarian, I was required to read selections from Gregory Aldrete's, "Gestures and Acclamations in Ancient Rome" for another class. The first two chapters of this book are amazing because they illustrate the hand gestures that would have been employed by orators and the significance behind them. While translating Cicero's powerful invective, I constantly referenced Aldrete to see what Cicero may have been utilizing. It was nice to visualize the interconnection between gesture and rhetoric first hand...no pun intended!

I highly recommend Aldrete's book and as for Cicero: My fondness for him is growing.

Anne Leon

What Has Cicero Done for me Lately?

While I have found Cicero's letters to arduous at times, I have also found it very interesting to see the personality of the man is exposed in his more personal letters to Quintus and Atticus. At the end of the day, Cicero is a person just as the rest of us with his owns fears, worries, and personal interests. He is trying to survive in very difficult circumstances and that is something with which I am very much able to understand.

As with the letters from Seneca we translated last year, Cicero addresses themes about the human condition that are relevant regardless of time and space. As with the rest of us, he is trying to understand how to get the most out of his life and do things which not only make him happy, but also allow him to leave a legacy for those around him.

Chris Copley

The Struggles of Learning the Language

We as Latinists are forever conscientious about grammar and syntax when we are doing our translations. In our particular field the misplacement of a pronoun, mistranslation of a verb's tense, or the misuse of a participle can (and has in my instance) turned the wonderful diction of a Ciceronian law speech into an incomprehensible mess that surely would not have bode well for his client. When I read this article shortly after Barack Obama's inauguration I laughed at how sometimes, we who might sometimes strive to be too literal, can also be petty. At the same time this also illustrates the symbolic nature that language takes on, and that at times the only way to truly understand the significance of a particular nuance in say Cicero is by as literal a translation as possible. Nevertheless you ought to find this interesting and humorous as I did.
Asa A. Cabbage

the link is http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22pinker.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=john+roberts&st=nyt

I do hope new students will post things this semester... It's several weeks in and I see that there's only Dr. M's welcome post.

Well... I've been very busy myself. I was visiting family in Virginia and South Carolina until the day before my birthday and then the day after my birthday I came down with a terrible cold for the rest of the week. I'm only just feeling better from that, which is a very good thing because I start my substitute teacher training on Tuesday (so I will miss seeing the Inauguration live on tv, but I'm recording it on DVR; I really don't want to miss it).

Two things somewhat related to the Classics and Latin:

1. I'm watching Gladiator on HBO at the moment. Thank you, Russell Crowe. ;D


2. My friend Ilana is currently reading a 1918 translation of De Bello Gallico and she's finding it very amusing. She posted about it at her own blog, here, which others might find interesting/amusing as well.

~Rachael

Quo usque, Catilina, abutere patientia nostra?

Dear all,

Here is a message to welcome beginning, intermediate, and advanced Latinists to this electronic notebook. Please share your thoughts on our classes, on Latin in general, or on the Roman world and how it slips into the cracks of each day, unnoticed, and yet so permeating...

My thoughts drift to Cicero---his impossible rise to the consular top, his class neuroses, his self perception, his cutting witty sarcasms, his abandonment by his friends, his death. I hope that people have found some of those things we discussed in class yesterday inspiring, and I am looking forward to more such discussions.

Soon again,

EM.



PS. Google 'Cesare Maccari' if you want to know more about this image...the story behind it is very interesting.