Summer Latin Institute - DAY 22

Today was Day 22. The 18 instructional units of the beloved first-year Moreland and Fleischer text book rapidly receding light years behind us! Caesar's Gallic Wars charging over the horizon! Book 6, Chapter 12 in the morning; Book 6, Chapters 14, 15, and 16 in the afternoon. Chapters 17 and 18 tomorrow morning. One of the many virtues of Moreland and Fleischer is that it includes substantial unadapted passages of Caesar as part of the last two units, so students, whether at the Institute or in traditional classrooms nationwide and worldwide, can make the transition from text-book Latin to ancient Roman texts while enjoying the comforting presence of their familiar first-year text book in their own two hands.

Some grammar review in the afternoon. On Friday, Day 24, our students have their midterm exam. First thing Monday morning, Patrick Gaulthier delivers an introductory lecture on Cicero, and we dive into the first oration against Catiline. That keeps us busy for a few days. Then it's Sallust's Bellum Catalinae, with an emphasis on stylistic differences between Cicero and Sallust. Then our prose survey begins, with generous chunks of Ennius, Cato, Livy, Tacitus, Petronius, Saint Augustine, Einhard, and the medieval Gesta Romanorum. 

Our students are doing great. They don't even realize how much Latin they have learned or how proficient they are. I get the impression they feel like the proverbial rats on a wheel. But you should have seen and heard them tearing into Caesar today. Great work, guys!

More soon... 

Note: The opinions expressed in this blog entry are those of the blogger, and do not represent the opinions of the CUNY Latin/Greek Institute, its students, faculty, or administration.