Cambridge School Classics ProjectRecensioni

Volume 4A of the Cambridge Latin Course is the climax of the narrative section of the course, as we follow life in Rome under the dictatorial rule of Domitian, and Salvius finally faces his Waterloo. The story is now intertwined with excerpts from Ovid and a variety of fascinating stories about new characters, keeping the students engaged.

Grammatical concepts in volume 4A include the supine, further use of the subjunctive, complex word order and indirect statements, clauses of fearing, the gerund, "fio" clauses, and the use of historical present. The focus on poetic word order allows students to begin sampling real Latin texts of greater complexity. Cultural material includes farming life, Roman poetry recitations, Roman marriage, the Emperor's council, and the legal system. Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook

Volume 3B of the Cambridge Latin Course takes us, at last, to Rome itself. The grand old lady. Here, under the Emperor Domitian, a contractor named Haterius decides to rise up and get his due from our long-running villain Salvius. A female philosopher from Greece arrives in Rome, only to discover things here are not quite like at home. And plots and plans continue to swirl.

Grammatical concepts in volume 3B are now becoming more complex (students from here should be able to move into other texts, such as Reading Latin by Peter Jones if they so wish). They include the passive indicative, further uses of the ablative, purpose clauses, deponent verbs, the future tense, and uses of the gerundive. Cultural material is largely related to Rome: the forum, engineering, patronage, social hierarchy, and the lives of Christians and freed slaves. The text is clearly focused on the concepts but does so within a thoroughly-realised long-running narrative. Also, wonderfully, it doesn't take the student for granted. Especially the chapter in which the story of the mass Jewish suicide at Masada is recounted, and contrasted with the dedication of the Arch in honour of the late Emperor Titus. This is a volume to be accompanied by study of ancient history.
Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook

Wonderfully laid out, meticulously edited. A fantastic volume for working with students using the Cambridge Latin Course, and even I suppose if you're learning yourself!

Each chapter of the course is accompanied by extensive commentaries of every page of the textbook, guidance on discussing the text and potential sensitivities, useful information for teaching the cultural material, suggestions for further work with students, as well as exercises, quizzes and additional passages for student comprehension. This is followed by some discussion of the language appendix in each volume to discuss new words and concepts, ideas for cutting sections if in a speedy course, and a bibliography with both items for students and for the teacher.

Wonderfully laid out, meticulously edited. A fantastic volume for working with students using the Cambridge Latin Course, and even I suppose if you're learning yourself!

Each chapter of the course is accompanied by extensive commentaries of every page of the textbook, guidance on discussing the text and potential sensitivities, useful information for teaching the cultural material, suggestions for further work with students, as well as exercises, quizzes and additional passages for student comprehension. This is followed by some discussion of the language appendix in each volume to discuss new words and concepts, ideas for cutting sections if in a speedy course, and a bibliography with both items for students and for the teacher.

Wonderfully laid out, meticulously edited. A fantastic volume for working with students using the Cambridge Latin Course, and even I suppose if you're learning yourself!

Each chapter of the course is accompanied by extensive commentaries of every page of the textbook, guidance on discussing the text and potential sensitivities, useful information for teaching the cultural material, suggestions for further work with students, as well as exercises, quizzes and additional passages for student comprehension. This is followed by some discussion of the language appendix in each volume to discuss new words and concepts, ideas for cutting sections if in a speedy course, and a bibliography with both items for students and for the teacher.

Volume 4B is the conclusion of the Cambridge Latin Course. Moving away from the series' narrative format, this volume includes edited selections from Pliny, Tacitus, Catullus, Ovid and Virgil, as well as excerpts from Martial and Juvenal (depending on the edition). The volume includes a lengthy appendix with all of the grammar covered in the course.

Grammatical concepts in volume 4B includes much of the remaining information to be understood by students including hortatory and jussive subjunctives, the impersonal passive, use of "nisi", "malo", and "ne", poetic plural, ellipsis, and poetic uses of the ablative. Cultural material includes the lives of the authors, Roman divorce and remarriage, the Roman mythology, the real-life Lesbia (Clodia), and finally the Emperor himself.

Wonderfully laid out, meticulously edited. A fantastic volume for working with students using the Cambridge Latin Course, and even I suppose if you're learning yourself!

Each chapter of the course is accompanied by extensive commentaries of every page of the textbook, guidance on discussing the text and potential sensitivities, useful information for teaching the cultural material, suggestions for further work with students, as well as exercises, quizzes and additional passages for student comprehension. This is followed by some discussion of the language appendix in each volume to discuss new words and concepts, ideas for cutting sections if in a speedy course, and a bibliography with both items for students and for the teacher.

Volume 3A of the Cambridge Latin Course returns us to Roman Britain, now in the year 83. Salvius is plotting to kill King Cogidubnus, acts of treason and romance play out among lowly citizens, and two incompetent soldiers find themselves in the midst of a coup. The arrival of the Governor of Britain, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, sets new disasters in motion.

Grammatical concepts in volume 3A includes greater varieties of the genitive and ablative, subjunctive, clauses of a wide variety, indirect questions and commands, and impersonal verbs. Cultural material includes the Roman baths, magic and curses, Roman road and sea journeys, the Roman army, the life of Agricola, and archaeology, or how we know what we know. An index wraps up the grammar thus far studied. Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook

Volume 2A (which can also be found in a double volume with 2B) takes us to Roman Britain (now Fishbourne) in the year 82. Here, a local judge named Salvius manages his horrible life horribly, quarreling with his wife and abusing his slaves. The local King, Cogidubnus, is now a subject of the Emperor Claudius. A boat race ends in tragedy and violence. And finally, one of our old favourites appears, to tell the story of their lengthy journey from the ruins of Pompeii to the outer reaches of the Empire.

Grammatical concepts in volume 2A include infinitives, some use of passive tense, the ablative, prepositions, relative clauses, the pluperfect, and variations on use of questions. Cultural material includes the conquest and Romanisation of Britain, the use of the farms, analysis of the historical figures herein, and a greater look at archaeology and modern discovery via the Palace at Fishbourne. An appendix summarises all of the grammar thus far learned.

Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook

Wonderfully laid out, meticulously edited. A fantastic volume for working with students using the Cambridge Latin Course, and even I suppose if you're learning yourself!

Each chapter of the course is accompanied by extensive commentaries of every page of the textbook, guidance on discussing the text and potential sensitivities, useful information for teaching the cultural material, suggestions for further work with students, as well as exercises, quizzes and additional passages for student comprehension. This is followed by some discussion of the language appendix in each volume to discuss new words and concepts, ideas for cutting sections if in a speedy course, and a bibliography with both items for students and for the teacher.

Volume 2B (which can also be found in a double volume with 2A) is actually one giant flashback continuing on from 2A, in which Quintus told the story of his life after Pompeii. Here, during the years 80 and 81, Quintus finds himself in Alexandria - at the other end of the Empire from the Roman Britain of 2A - as Quintus and his freed slave Clemens attempt to adjust to new life but face xenophobia, mobsters, and self-serving fellow citizens, along with suspicious deaths.

Grammatical concepts in volume 2B include the genitive case, the 4th and 5th declensions, a variety of clauses, conjunctions and pronouns. Cultural material includes life in Alexandria, Egyptian religious practices, Roman medicine and science, and the art of underwater excavation. An index wraps up the grammar thus far studied. The narrative is now becoming more complex with a wider use of tenses and cases, and the action more exciting for students as they get to know the characters and the often grim but exciting world they inhabit.

Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook

This accompanies the Cambridge Latin Anthology, providing commentary on each of the selections in terms of how to work with students to translate and understand concepts. Appendices provide some background on each of the authentic illustrations in the anthology, and a one-page reminder of the basic metrical schemes used in the student's text.

Verse selections from Virgil, Ovid, Catullus, Martial, Horace, Petronius, Seneca and Lucretius.
Prose selections from Tacitus, Pliny, Apuleius, Cicero, Sallust, Pliny the Elder, Caesar, and the Vulgate.

Page-facing glosses and an extensive end vocabulary. It should be noted this anthology does not have translations included, and some of the sections are adapted, so should be done with the teacher at hand. (A teacher's handbook is available which provides some teaching guidance.)

This is a great course for beginners and amateurs in Latin. As someone who was quite skilled at the language in school, I've just returned to this series to try and recover my skills, and it's nice to see how much I still remember! By using a narrative approach, combined with information about the culture, the Cambridge Latin Course allows you to pass easily through the workload. Obviously, it is only an introductory program and as such, the first book doesn't go into great detail in areas of either vocab or grammar. As someone mentioned below, the two biggest flaws are 1) lack of pronunciation guides, although a simple Google search and understanding of the accents used will help this; and 2) that the end-of-chapter word lists are never comprehensive.

I really enjoyed translating from this book when I was in high school. The stories were simple but kept my attention, and often made me forget I was doing work.

I had this for my college Latin class. It is very good.