Latinmakesacomeback

Howa'dead'languageescapedtheclutchesofthegerundgrindersandgotalife
ontheinternet.
SilvioBorusso|Jul82006| 1

Thereisnodenyingthattheclassicallanguages,LatinandGreek,havesustained
quiteabatteringinthepast50oddyears.Myintentionistounderstandthe(apparent)
demiseoftheclassicallanguages,andtohighlighttheirreturningwithavengeance,now
takingplacebeforeourveryeyes,thanksmostlytotheInternet.
Ithasbeenrightlysaidthatmethodmorethancontentwastherealdrawbackintheteaching
ofLatinandGreekbeforetheywere"squeezedoutofthecurriculum."(1)Butthatisnotthe
wholetruth.
MycontentionisthattoteachLatinitisnotenoughtoknowit.Talentandthepassionfor
teachingitareequallynecessary,regardlessofmethod.Thatcombinationhasalwaysbeen
arareone.NowonderthatLatinteacherswerenicknamed"gerundgrinders"intheEnglish
speakingworld.Moreoverthecontentswere(andstillarewhereverLatinandGreekare
taught)boring,withnoapologies.
Gerundgrinders
WhatthesituationwaswhenLatinwaswidelytaughtintheWestcanbegaugedbythe
followingstories:
Inoursmallhighschool,situatedintheremoteAdirondackmountainfastnessof
northernNewYork,wehadanextraordinaryLatinteacher...MissJulietteProulx.
...Actually,asmanyofusthinkaboutitnow,itisobviousthatwereceivedsome
ofourbestEnglishinstructioneverinfirstyearLatin.Grammar,syntax,
vocabulary,spelling,pronunciation,diction,andalotmorebesideswaspounded,
thrust,slipped,ordelicatelyscalpeledintoourofteninertandsometimesresistant
psyches...theresultsachievedwerephenomenal.Mosthighschoolgraduatesof
thateracouldwrite,andexpressthemselvesinotherways,atleastaswellas
most,andalotbetterthanmany,oftoday'scollegegraduates.(2)
TheJulietteProulxesofthisworlddonotcomeapennyadozen.Toachievethose
phenomenalresultsshetookhercharges"throughthelong,drearyclassperiods,fivedaysa
week,fortyweeksayear,forthreeyears."(3)Thatmakesit600classes.AMissProulxcould

doit.Manycouldn't.Forinstance:
Ateachermayknowthesubjectmatterwell,butnothowtomakeothersloveit.I
loved,andstilllove,Latin...[I]n1941,duringthewar,Itaughtthehumanitiesina
privateschoolnotfarfromNaples.Iwasveryyoung,justoutofuniversity.Iwas
givenasecondaryclass.Tomyastonishmentthoseboys,allbelow20,were
completelyignorantofLatinandGreek.NaveandinnocentasIwas,Itoldthe
director.Hesaid:"Startfromscratch."Ireplied:"I'lltry,Father,butIfailto
understandhowtheyhavemadeittosecondaryinsuchastate."Reply:"Mind
yourownbusinessanddon'taskquestions."...Ispoketotheboys.Theytoldme
theyhatedLatin,theyhadalwayshatedit,theysawitasanimposition,andto
capitall,"itwasofnouse."(4)
Contents
Few,possiblynoneofthosewholamentthedemiseoftheclassicallanguagesever
refertocontents.TheyseemtotakeitforgrantedthatDeBelloGallico,
Cicero'sOrationes,Virgil'sAeneidaretherighttextstopound,thrust,slipordelicately
scalpelintothepsychesof1115yearolds,andthatawholebookof
theOdysseyand/orIliadcandoforyoungmenof1618.Itisclearwhysomanyhatedthe
thing.Itwasknowledgewithoutunderstandingpartswrenchedoutofcontextwiththesole
purposeofmakingpeoplepassanexamsetbysomepanjandrumofofficialdom.
Istillremembermysurprisewhen,inthelastyearofsecondary,Icameacrossasentencein
atextbookcasuallyremarkingthattheNewTestamentisaGreekclassicinitsownright.Of
course,weneverasmuchastouchedit.Butthemoretimepassed,themorethatnever
forgottenremarkpromptedtheobviousquestion:whydidwenotlearnGreekinthefamiliar
textofGospelsandtheActsoftheApostles?The28chaptersofActsare,Ithink,themost
actionpackedbookinthewholeBible.NeithertheOdysseynortheIliadcanstandup
toActsforsheerdrama:shipwreck,dangerstuddedtravel,beatings,riots,dramaticrescues,
confrontations,conversions,miraclesandwhatnot.(5)Thattextwouldhavetaughtusnot
onlyGreek,butalsohistoryandreligioninaunitaryvisionhardlyfoundelsewhere.
HalfacenturyafterleavingschoolIreadsometextsofStAugustineintheoriginalLatin.
TheConfessionsdelightedandthrilledmeasfewothertextseverdid(despitehavingreadit
beforeintranslation),butDeOrdinestartledme.HerewasAugustine'sownintroductionto
philosophy,clear,complete,amusing,inhissuperbstyleanduniqueturnofphrase,notto
mentionitsPlatonicdialogueform.Whatadelightitwouldhavebeentoknowitinsteadof
Caesar,CiceroandVirgil.
Thesamequestionnagged:WhydidnotourcurriculumdraftersgiveusnotonlyLatinbut
alsophilosophywithAugustine'sDeOrdine?Howmuchmorewouldschoolhave
approachedtheGreekideaof,theproductiveandcontemplativeotiumthatitis
supposedtobe,insteadofthehellithasbecome!Whilepointingnofingersatsupposedor
realwreckersofclassicaleducation,Iwouldpolitelyremarkthatthankstothementropyis

takingcaretoreestablishthedisturbedequilibrium.
Admodumrecipientis(6)
Inthelowtechworldofyesteryearthepowersthatbedictated:thattheclassicsshouldbe
taughtaccordingnottotheintellectualneedsofaChristiansocietybuttothoseofabunchof
paganHumaniststhatthemethodbywhichtheyweretobetaughtwasbygrammar
munchingratherthanbytextualexamplesthateverybody,includingovesetboveset
universapecora(7)couldlearnLatinattherateof200classesayearandthatunlessyou
couldtranslateuptocertainstandardyouwouldnotgetthecovetedcertificate,diploma,
degreeorwhathaveyou.
Butnatureisnotmocked.AsCicerooncesharplynoted,"thewisearedrivenbyreason
ordinaryminds,byexperiencethestupid,bynecessity,andbrutesbyinstinct."Asgalit,
disguisedasdemocracy,burstintotheclassicalprecincts,ordinaryminds,thestupidandthe
brutesinevitablyendedupoverwhelmingthewise,andnoreasonscouldbeofferedtothem
whyLatinandGreekshouldbeinthecurriculum,notbecausethereweren'tany,but
becausebynaturenoreasoncouldmakeanyimpressiononthem.
Pocketsofresistanceremained.A1987study,wellbeforethecomingofInternet,
revealedthat,"PupilswhostudiedLatinwereeightmonthsaheadonwordknowledge,
oneyearinreading,13monthsinlanguage,fourmonthsinspelling,ninemonthsin
mathematicsproblemsolving,fivemonthsinscienceandsevenmonthsinsocialstudies".(8)
Intoday'shightechworldthingsarechangingfast,makinglearningwhatitshouldbe:fruitful
andpleasing.
Itistruethatoneswallowdoesnotmakeasummer,butitisalsotruethatakeen
birdwatcherwillnoteitinhisnotebook.Inthiscasetheswallow'snameisW.N.(9),aKikuyu
fourthyearengineeringstudent,whodecidedtohaveagoatLatininJanuary1999,before
enrollinginuniversity.InNovemberthatyearhewrote:
PutotecupidumscirequomodoegoinKeniavivensLatinediscerepotui.Erat
tempusquandophilosophiamdisceremeaintererat.Adidergo,unumlibrum,
cuiustituluserat"TheChristianPhilosophyofSaintThomasAquinas",legi,inquo
erantmultaLatinescripta.ProptereavisumeratmihiLatinestudere
incipere...Primumlibrum"TheRevisedLatinPrimer"legereincepi,sedperipsum
Latinediscereeratmaximedifficile.Postealibrum"TeachYourselfLatin"emi.Ex
menseMarchihuiusanni,quandolibrumemi,usquenuncistumlegerenondum
complevi,sedmultaperipsumiamdidici.
SedmihimaximumauxiliumauferuntadLatinediscendumcapsellae
magnetophonicaequasadmagistrummeummisisti.Paenecotidieunamexillis
capsellisauscultaresoleo,etproptereanuncfacillimepossumLatinecogitare,
legereetloqui.(10)

Theaboveanswersanyquestiononemaywanttoaskaboutthedifficultiesand/orthe
usefulnessofLatin.TheInternetdidtherest.ByjoiningaLatindiscussiongroup,thisyoung
EastAfricanastonishednotonlythemembersofthegroupbutalsotheUnitedStatesSAT
(ScholasticAptitudeText)examiners,scoring800outof800intheirLatintest.
Liberation
InTheConfessionsAugustinewrites:
AndIwassenttoschooltobecomeliterate,theusefulnessofwhichIjustcould
notsee,poorme.ButthemomentIshowedsluggishnessinlearning,Iwas
thrashed...Everygrownupwasmakingfunofmybeingbeaten,thegreatestevilI
experienced.Myparentsjoinedin,despitetheirnotdesiringmeharm.(11)
BothJulietteProulxandAugustine,Iamsure,wouldlookatMsSueSheltonofFloridaHigh
Schoolwithamixtureofenvyandamazement.SueteachesLatinonlinetothewholeof
Floridaand,asthemottooftheschoolhasit,"Anytime,anyplace,anypath,any
pace."Ovesetbovesdropoutifandwhentheywish.Therestsoldieronandbecome
proficient.Theyevengetacertificateintheend.(12)
Certificates,diplomasandassortedpiecesofpaperhavealwaysbeenpowerfulbutlowtech
weaponsofofficialdom.Theyarenowbeingchallengedinmorethanoneway.Anyone
willingandwithatalentfortheclassicallanguagescanpursuethemontheNet,freetolearn
ashisteachersarefreetoteach.Beatings,coercion,hatredandresentmentarealreadyas
unnecessaryaswrittenqualifications.AndmaybeevenattheEuropeanCommissionthere
willonedaybeenoughLatinspeakerstodispensewiththeveritablearmyoftranslatorsand
theirsheavesofbureaucratese.
TheInternethasthemeritofcombiningequalityofopportunitythedreamofevery
egalitarianwithanononsense,elitistrewardingsystem.WhenHilaireBelloc(1870
1953)walkedfromToulinAlsacetoRomein1902,onreachingItalytheonlypersonwho
couldunderstandhimwasapriest,whomBellocaddressedinLatin.
Todayclergyandlaityfindthemselvesonarigorouslylevelplayingfield.Anymemberof
eithergroupcanaccesstheLatincourseonofferbytheSalesianAthenaeum(13)since
March2002.OrhecangotoSueShelton,(14)oranywhereelsemouseclicksmaytakehim.
ItisironicthattherevivalofLatinshouldbespearheadedbyFinnsandGermans,who
understandtheimportanceofthissocalleddeadlanguagebetterthanItaliansorSpaniards.
RadioFinlandstartedbroadcastingnewsinLatinbeginningin1982,andMrWilfridStroh
celebratedthe1985bimillenaryofAugustaVindelicorum(Augsburg)withasymposium
whereLatinwastheonlylanguageofcommunication.Theparticipants'partingshotwas:
QuistudiaLatina
noncolitfideliter,
inimalatrina
despereatcrudeliter.(15)

whichparaphrasesCicero'smoreelegant(andconcise)NontampraeclarumestscireLatine
quamturpenescire.(16)Herewehavefreedom,bothoflearningandteaching.Friendsof
freedomandoftheclassicallanguages,welcomeonboard.
SilvanoBorrusoisateacheratStrathmoreCollegeinNairobi,
Kenya.silbor@strathmore.ac.ke

Notes
1.TheDailyTelegraph,leader,May5,2000
2.J.A.Fallon,"InPraiseofLatin,"TheUniversityBookman,cuttingundated,1990s.
Emphasisintheoriginal.
3.Ibid.
4.LuigiCompagnone,"Sonocontrarioallatinonellascuola,"IlGiornaleNuovo,31stMarch
1977
5.TheywouldiftheAgeofCatastrophe,thecontextinwhichthetwooccurred,was
understood.Butthatisanotherstory.
6.Tothereceiver'scapacity.
7.Sheep,cowsandcattleatlarge.
8."WhyworkingclasspupilsneedLatin,"TheSundayTelegraph,19thApril1987.
9.ForobviousreasonsIcannotrevealthenamewithoutpermission.
10.Emailmessage.Ihavecopiedthetextasitstands,withoutcorrectingerrors:"Ithinkyou
areeagertoknowhowImanagedtolearnLatinhereinKenya.SometimeagoIgot
interestedinphilosophy.HenceIboughtTheChristianPhilosophyofSaintThomasAquinas,
andreadit,tofindthatitcontainednumerousLatinphrases.Ithoughtitagoodideatostart
learningLatin...IstartedbyreadingTheRevisedLatinPrimer,butIfounditverydifficult.
NextIboughtTeachYourselfLatin.FromMarchthisyear,whenIboughtit,uptonowIam
notyetthroughwithit,butIhavelearnedalot.Whatisreallyhelpingthougharetheaudio
cassettesyousenttomyteacher.Ilistentooneofthemalmosteveryday,andasaresultI
amnowinapositiontothinkin,readandspeakLatinmosteasily."
11.TheConfessions,I,9
12.T.H.E.Journal,March2000.www.thejournal.com
13.http://www.geocities.com/blas3/Theinitiativecoincidedwiththe40thanniversaryof
VeterumSapientia,JohnXXIII'sencyclicalonLatin,astimelyasitwasdisregardedfollowing
VaticanII.
14.magistra@fhs.net
15.Let'emdespairindeepestlatrinethosewhoneglecttheirstudyofLatin.TimeMagazine,
May20,1985
16."ItisnotsomuchamarkofdistinctiontoknowLatinasitisadisgracenottoknowit."
Brutus37,140