“There is no point in translating from English to Latin. We learn Latin in order to read the literature of the Romans and to listen to their voices. And anyway, it’s too hard.”
It is true that the primary purpose of learning Latin is to read Latin. But we can’t do that unless we understand how the language works – and the process of writing Latin seems to me an invaluable aid in really getting to know how the language operates, because to write Latin we need to have a good grasp of vocabulary, grammar and idiom. It is also the case that one of the reasons for learning Latin is to improve linguistic fluency in general. A large number of English words are derived from Latin originals, and the study of Latin grammar enhances our understanding of English grammar. No teacher who knows Latin would ever comment in an end-of-term report about Fred’s lack of progress, and then add “Having said that, if he works hard, he will improve”!
In “Latin Composition” I have tried to make the writing of Latin as accessible as possible. The book starts with the simplest sentences of the sort set at GCSE. There are clear and thorough explanations of various grammatical points and constructions, which are then used in sentences. The vocabulary in the sentences is restricted to that on the OCR AS list. I have introduced continuous passages as soon as possible, and have therefore given particular prominence to the idea of subordination; participles and temporal clauses are thus brought in at an early stage. I have also tried to give pointers about other aspects of idiom, such as how to translate “and … not”.
The continuous passages are based on Roman originals, and I have tried to give a variety of stories. Since the Romans were a militaristic people with an empire depending on military might, there must be stories about soldiers and fighting, but there is also Pliny trying to arrange for a schoolmaster in Comum, Catullus telling himself to get over Lesbia, the haunted house in Athens, Verres’ cleptomania, Augustine’s friend being dragged off to watch the gladiators; and many more. For those who wish to go beyond A level, there are more demanding passages, but still based on ancient sources. Finally, for the really adventurous, there are passages from Barak Obama, Bede, Samuel Pepys – and Churchill’s “We shall fight” speech.
There is a vocabulary at the back, and grammatical tables, which give all the essentials.
“And anyway, it’s too hard.” It is harder to write Latin than to read Latin, but if we know the basic grammatical forms, and learn the rules of syntax, with practice we can write Latin. I tell my students that they should not be frightened of making mistakes (at least not untill they get to the examination itself!) We all make mistakes; what matters is that we learn from them, and eventually stop making the same ones.
In fact writing Latin can be fun!
Andrew Leigh
