Latin Translation

October 25, 2025: End of Week 6

This week students took a 15 word vocabulary quiz.  I reviewed the gerund, a verbal noun, and gerundive, a verbal adjective, which is used with a form of the verb "sum" to indicate necessity or obligation.

I also introduced "gerundives  - other expressions" to the class on Friday.  We will continue with this concept next week in class.

We continue to read Pliny's adventure with his mother during the eruption which I gave on a handout.  Homework is to finish the letter for next class.

October 12, 2024: End of Week 5

I returned the tests to students and went over the material.  On thewhole, the grades were not as good as I expected, and I will have to review some important grammar points from last year.  I went over the grammar worksheet on the Vesuvius letter and collected them.  Our next Pliny letter will be the one describing the events Pliny and his mother experienced during the eruption.

I introduced the students to a new construction: the gerundive with a form of "sum" to indicate necessity or obligation.   We  translated some easy sentences with this new concept.

Homework is to translate lines 1-10 of the letter Pliny wrote to Tacitus about his own adventures during the eruption.  This letter is not in the textbook.  I provided a handout with the letter and included English vocabulary to facilitate translation.  This is an easier version of the original letter, i.e., simplified grammar and vocabulary.  Hopefully this homework will not be a "struggle" for them.

October 4, 2025: End of Week 4

I returned the vocabulary quizzes and students took their first test on Pliny's letter about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Homework is to translate lines 179-189 of the text AND TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO about the eruption and answer these 15 questions on the video.  The video is only 8 minutes long.  If the link does not work, the video is called "Frozen In Time - The Last Day of Pompeii.

Students are to watch the youtube video “Frozen in Time” and answer the following questions:

1. How many people lived in Pompeii at the time of the eruption?

2. How many loaves of bread were discovered in the buried city?

3. What were the thermopolia?

4. Why did the Romans not have a word for volcano?

5. What natural disaster occurred in 62 AD from which the Pompeiians were still recovering in 79 AD?

6. What evidence seems to indicate that the eruption was not in August, but in October?

7. At approximately what time did the peak of Vesuvius explode?

8. How high did the column of smoke and ash rise?

9. What tree does the column resemble?

10. The initial fall of debris consisted of what elements?

11. What created the pyroclastic flow?

12. What makes up a pyroclastic surge?

13. What temperature did the pyroclastic surge reach?

14. How many feet of ash and rock engulfed Pompeii?

15. What is the name of the important Italian archaeologist who was able to create plaster casts of the victims of Pompeii?

https://youtu.be/xVpqTRdOltg?si=ADRYsHee-kB-yjcP

September 27, 2025: End of Week 3

Students took a vocabulary quiz on Friday.  The first test of the semester will be on Friday, October 3.  The test will have 4 parts:  a circle the right answer on the life of Pliny the Younger; a true/false section on the events described by Pliny in his letter about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; a few familiar selections to translate; some basic grammar questions based on the passages in the test.

I explained the formation and use of the GERUND in Latin.  It is a verbal noun, formed on the infinitive, has the signal letters ND, is declined like a second declension noun, has no nominative case and no plural forms.  The GERUND is always translated "-ing" and can be used to express purpose.

Homework for next week is to translate lines 160-169.

September 20, 2025: End of Week 2

We read through the story of the The Rich Man and Lazarus.  There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 26,  on 15 assigned words from the author, Pliny the Younger.

I gave an introduction to Pliny and set the stage for our reading of his two letters on the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  We looked at the notes in the book and I pointed out some abbreviations in the notes important for translation.  We read the introductory paragraph of the first letter.

Homework for the next class is to translate lines 126-133 on page 257 of the text.

September 13, 2025

This week we went over a review worksheet on the major grammar concepts from last year.  Students translated the story of The Good Samaritan from the Vulgate of St. Jerome.

I gave an overview of  Roman politics and presented a timeline of Roman literature from 200 BC to 200 AD.

Next week we will do the story of The Rich Man and Lazarus from the Vulgate and begin to read one of the two important letters of the statesman, Pliny the Younger.  The following week students will be introduced to the gerund and gerundive in Latin.  Fun Times.

There is no homework for the weekend.  

August 31, 2025

Upper School III Latin Syllabus – Fall 2025

This semester will begin our first foray into “real” Latin.  Therefore I have tried to vary the authors we will read and the selections to reflect the students‘ abilities.  In addition to the three tests, there will be four vocabulary quizzes and worksheets which will be graded.  The textbook is Wheelock’s Latin Reader.

The final grade is composed of these elements:

3 tests = 45% of the grade (15% each)

4 quizzes = 20% 

homework, worksheets and participation = 35%

Sep 8-12:  Introduction to US III expectations. Diagnostic review including subjunctives and participles.  Introduction to the Latin Reader. Begin The Good Samaritan on page 287.

Sep 15-19:  Review weak grammar elements.   Begin translation of Lazarus, pgs 291-292.

Sep 22-26: Vocabulary quiz 1.  Finish Lazarus story.  Introduction to the author Pliny.  Begin translation of the letter on the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, pg. 255, lines 118-149.

Sep 29-Oct 3: Continue translation lines 150-178. Test I.

Oct 6-10:  Continue eruption letter, lines 179-197. 

Oct 13-17: Break

Oct 20-24: Vocabulary quiz 2.  Read Pliny’s letter about his personal experiences during the eruption which is on a handout.

Oct 27-31:  Finish the eruption letter.  Fun with Latin scary stories.

Nov 3-7:   Test II.  Begin Pliny letter about the Christians, page 269, lines 230-258.

Nov 10-14: Continue with the letter about the Christians, lines 259-292.  Vocabulary quiz 3.

Nov 17-21:  Introduction to the author Livy.  Begin translation of the story of the Horatii and Curiatii lines 51-80.

Nov 24-28:   Break.

Dec 1-5:   Finish the Horatii story.  Begin the story of Gaius Mucius, page 159.  Test III.

Dec 8-12: Finish the Gaius Mucius story.  Vocabulary Quiz 4.

It is always a difficult transition to move from Ecce Romani I and II or any introductory text to “real” Classical Latin.  Don’t be discouraged.  It will get better.

Mrs. Schneider

carolannarbor@aol.com

Cell: 586-495-1084

August 30, 2025

Syllabus is almost complete!  The book we will use is called Wheelock's Latin Reader.  The first two weeks of the semester I will review the major concepts of last year and students will translate some easy New Testament passages.

Then we will read selections from two important prose authors, Pliny the Younger and Livy.  Two new grammar concepts will be introduced this school year - gerunds and gerundives and conditionals.

I give three tests during the semester and four vocabulary quizzes.  There will also be a variety of graded grammar worksheets.

Looking forward to a challenging, but rewarding, academic year.

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year.

I am working on the syllabus for this year and will post it as soon as it is done.  Be assured we will spend some time reviewing grammar and doing some easy translations before leaping into Livy's  Ab Urbe Conditā.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Carol Schneider = carolannarbor@aol.com