The Language of Virgil

A ten-week introduction to Latin via the first 207 lines of the Aeneid, this book concentrates on the special advantages of Latin as a medium of poetry. The Language of Virgil does more than teach us how to read the Aeneid in Latin: it shows why it is important to do so. Part one covers the mechanics of sound and syntax in nine lessons, emphasizing words and forms actually encountered in lines 1-207. Part Two goes over those lines about ten at a time in twenty lessons, with vocabulary, notes, scansion, and translation. Questions on the structure and poetic artistry of each passage make learning an active experience. Instead of vocabulary and translation skills, this approach calls attention to the effective use of language in Rome's greatest epic as an invitation to further study. Profusely illustrated with the art and monuments of Virgil's time.