Reasons to not study Latin
- Thread starter Akela
- Start date
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Sanity
I’m finishing my textbook and I’m preparing myself morally to start serious reading. Commentarii, of course. But actually I’ve discovered I’m quite ignorant about ancient literature in Latin. Golden Age: Caesar’s populist stuff, Cicero’s orations (I’m not sure orations are the kind of literature I was always eager to read) and compilative philosophy, Livy’s fables—perhaps the most interesting. Other than Golden Age: historical treatises; Seneca’s philosophy (I’m biassed against Seneca owing to Graves and his Claudius the God); what else? I don’t feel like plunging into poetry.
In short: is there enough fiction?
Or it was all in vain?
In short: is there enough fiction?
Or it was all in vain?
There is quite a bit of fiction, especially if you accept later Latin. Geoffry of Monmouth wrote Historia Regum Britanniae, which made the legend of King Arthur famous, as well as a few others such as Vita Merlini. Utopia, though not a proper fiction, was written originally in Latin. There are a few early Latin comedies and tragedies, and of course Fabulae Aesopi.
All in all, though, I don't think you'll find too much of what distinguishes modern fiction (unless you count poetry). I wouldn't say it's all in vain, at any rate - Latin provides the groundwork to learn other languages.
All in all, though, I don't think you'll find too much of what distinguishes modern fiction (unless you count poetry). I wouldn't say it's all in vain, at any rate - Latin provides the groundwork to learn other languages.
As for later authors, you are quite right, and I don’t mind them at all (Historia Regum Britanniae is certainly on my list!). What’s more, I rather associate Latin with the Renaissance. I’ve got the first book about Harry Potter, after all. 
But as for the roots… Apparently Greek is the clue to the antiquity, not Latin.
But as for the roots… Apparently Greek is the clue to the antiquity, not Latin.
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You refer to Livy's work as fabulae, which I believe is the technically correct term. Sticking my neck out, I would suggest that they are mostly historical fictionQuasus dixit:In short: is there enough fiction?
I mean Livy’s aim was not to present an account of facts but to glorify the Romans; in particular, his early history of Rome is completely legendary. He can hardly be regarded as a good source for an historian.Cinefactus dixit:You refer to Livy's work as fabulae, which I believe is the technically correct term. Sticking my neck out, I would suggest that they are mostly historical fictionQuasus dixit:In short: is there enough fiction?
Yes: More, Erasmus and lots of others. Indeed my panic was groundless. I’ve browsed among books at Google lately and I couldn’t help downloading Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, Gesta Anglorum and something else of the sort. Now that I can understand the bulk without a dictionary, I feel the thrill of direct communication through centuries. (Like when I first tried to communicate in a foreign language over the internet: I felt as if I were contacting Martians. )
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in the hands of a good latinist, the subjunctive can become a lethal weapon.Matthaeus dixit:
