Individual tutorials/assignments in Latin Home

Rome in England 22,000 paces to London

A water drop hollows a stone not by force, but by falling often *

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My Approach

Why Latin?

Rome

Rome teaches us regularity. If you are asking the question, 'Can I do this again?' you are thinking like a Roman. This naturally leads to the making of rules and even whole sets of rules. By far the greatest set of rules Rome itself made was the Laws of the Twelve Tables, a civil code that defined the relationship between citizens, and their duties towards those who were not. The result was a citizen body that carried all before it, creating a republic that lasted over 450 years and turning the Mediterranean into a Roman lake. The Tables also paved the way for further legislation, which, together with prior restrictions on the use of power, made Rome a shining example of the 'rule of law'.

Latin

Latin, the language the Romans spoke, reflects this regularity. Latin sentences have a fluid structure, which means that the part each word plays and how it relates to other words is not determined by its position, only its form. This creates opportunities for the writer or speaker, but difficulties for the reader or listener, unless, of course, he or she knows grammar, another set of rules.

Thus learning latin introduces us to a world, where there is freedom, but also a respect for its limitations. Very like Rome itself.

Where to begin?

With Cicero's 'Pro Roscio Amerino'.

This classical defence speech is surprisingly accessible. You could almost read it with a dictionary and a grammar without any prior knowledge of latin. A firm focus allows you to follow the points Cicero is making to demolish the accusation. The language is simple and also familiar, as many words are used in the same sense as in english. The sentences are simply constructed as well, with a beautiful rhythmic flow.

The speech was important historically. The year is 80 b.c. and Sulla has just brought to an end a very bruising dictatorship. He has stayed on, however, as one of the consuls, and the republic is shakily coming back to life. This is the situation into which Cicero speaks. It would have been suicidal to attack Sulla directly, but calling out one of his henchmen was certainly very bold. His career was launched. It is no coincidence that it ended with his life in 43 b.c., soon after the republic itself was finally defeated by another dictatorship. The civil society we glimpse in this speech did no become a reality again until modern times.

Materials

E.H. Donkin Cicero Pro Roscio Amerino Edited after Karl Halm Text and Notes 1916 Bristol Classical Press 2006

Andrew.R.Dyck Cicero Pro Sexto Roscio Text and Notes Cambridge University Press 2010

Benjamin Hall Kennedy The Shorter Latin Primer Grammar 1962 Longman Publisher

Sir William Smith A Smaller Latin-English Dictionary 1968 John Murray Publisher

The text of the speech can be downloaded without charge from the website http:// thelatinlibrary.com

D.F.Maclean July 2023

*gutta lapidem cavat non vi, sed saepe cadendo ( Latin original )