Which prose Classical Latin author do/did you find most difficult?

[Callaina]

Just curious -- either the Latin author that you find hardest now, or (if you find them all easy now ) the one that gave you most trouble as a student.

I've stuck to fairly major authors since I'm limited to ten poll options, but please comment below if your ideal choice isn't on the list.

The poll is anonymous but personal responses below are also welcome, of course.

 

[Imperfacundus]

Fifty bucks on ol' Chickpea

 

[Pacifica]

It's somewhat hard to be really sure, because, since I have read different authors at different stages of my Latin evolution, it may be that I found more difficult some that I read earlier only because I was less experienced then, and, conversely, that I found quite easy some that I read recently, whom I would have found difficult back then. And I haven't read all authors, either (though I have read at least bits of all of those mentioned in the poll). But still, I voted Apuleius.

 

[Callaina]

It's somewhat hard to be really sure, because, since I have read different authors at different stages of my Latin evolution, it may be that I found more difficult some that I read earlier only because I was less experienced then, and, conversely, that I found quite easy some that I read recently, whom I would have found difficult back then. And I haven't read all authors, either (though I have read at least bits of all of those mentioned in the poll). But still, I voted Apuleius.

Yes, that was my choice as well.

 

[Callaina]

Fifty bucks on ol' Chickpea

Really? Out of all the authors I listed I actually find Cicero easiest (apart from possibly Caesar; but then Caesar has a lot of military vocabulary that I'm sometimes unfamiliar with.)

Interestingly, a number of people from my Latin class told me that they found both Seneca Minor and (especially) Petronius far easier than Cicero, whereas I actually found them both substantially more difficult (not really Seneca anymore; but still Petronius because of all the slang words and the colloquial style. I'm not great with slang in any language )

 

[Callaina]

But still, I voted Apuleius.

...Now I'm wondering if you were just being sadistic when you recommended Apuleius to me, back when I'd just been studying a few months...

 

[Pacifica]

Yes, that was my choice as well.

Ah, I thought you were the other one who'd voted for him.

...Now I'm wondering if you were just being sadistic when you recommended Apuleius to me, back when I'd just been studying a few months...

Not really. If I recall correctly, I did warn you that it wasn't really beginners' stuff, didn't I? But I mentioned it nonetheless because I'd enjoyed it.

 

[Callaina]

Not really. If I recall correctly, I did warn you that it wasn't really beginners' stuff, didn't I?

You did. I'm not great with warnings

But I mentioned it nonetheless because I'd enjoyed it.

LOL, it might be enjoyable if it weren't so ridiculously labyrinthine

 

[cinefactus]

My vote is for Horace...

 

[Pacifica]

Callaina's asking about prose.

 

[Callaina]

Callaina's asking about prose.

Yes -- there are just far too many options if poetry's tossed into the mix as well, and anyway it's like comparing apples and oranges; both are difficult in their own way. I'll probably make another thread for poetry later.

 

[cinefactus]

Oops

 

[Callaina]

Well, you can still "vote" by commenting at any rate. Which prose author do you find most difficult?

 

[cinefactus]

I haven't read all on the list, but of those I have, I found Livy the most difficult.

 

[Aurifex]

Livy is definitely difficult at times.

I've mentioned before a teacher of mine who once told the class that you weren't actually meant to make perfect sense of Livy; the idea was that Livy's prose was impressionistic, and in places you were meant to get just an impression of what he was saying and no more. My teacher's claim certainly didn't make much of an impression on me.

 

[Callaina]

My teacher's claim certainly didn't make much of an impression on me.

It sounds as though this teacher's Latin ability was rather unimpressive, to be honest.

 

[Callaina]

My teacher's claim certainly didn't make much of an impression on me.

On the other hand, it obviously made a large enough impression to cause you to quote it at least twice on the forum...

 

[Callaina]

Livy is definitely difficult at times.

But yes, I'll second that. Probably right after Apuleius on my list (on the other hand, I haven't read all that much of either, so with some more practice they might get a bit less daunting at any rate.)

 

[Aurifex]

On the other hand, it obviously made a large enough impression to cause you to quote it at least twice on the forum...

Yes, and it made me want to prove him wrong and get to proper grips with Latin. To be fair to the teacher, there are certainly plenty of obscure passages in Livy.

 

[Callaina]

Yes, and it made me want to prove him wrong and get to proper grips with Latin. To be fair to the teacher, there are certainly plenty of obscure passages in Livy.

Just curious what level this teacher was teaching at (secondary school, university...)?