I have been finished John F Collins A Primal of Eclesiastical Latin book. Now I read Vulgate (particularly Gospels) and sometimes, when I have extra time, Summa Theologiae.
But I’d like to reach a higher level in Latin and want to read easier Classic Latin texts and later Vergil, Horatius etc.
I started reading Hans Orberg Familia Romana. I really like it and enjoy this method. I’d like to ask when I finish this book How do I continue my study? I continue with Roma Aeterna?
If I am not mistaken, FR is an adaptation of Livy’s Histories. You may also have a look at classics with commentary (some even paraphrasis) in Latin:
In our Latin Group here in San Diego we have almost finished with Nepos, who is among the easiest but also most interesting (at least for us).
Salvē!
I have been enjoying the reading of Lhomond’s Epitomē Historiae Sacrae. I cannot judge the quality of its Latinity, but it has been fairly easy to read after Familia Rōmāna. The Accademia Vivarium Novum published an edition with notes on words not found in FR, some words changed and macrons. I recommend it. Their resource list, which Bedwere has just shared, is full of things to read (the Colloquia Scholastica are much recommended; I tried to read Pontanus’ Progymnasmata after I finished FR, but they were too difficult.). I also like this one, much bigger than Vivarium Novum’s.
If you use the Italianate pronunciation, this channel has all of Familia Romana very well read by an Italian, although he ignores vowel lenghts (which I would not recommend you to do, regardless of the pronunciation you use: it is important for poetry and for correctly stressing words). If you use the Reconstructed one, you may buy Ørberg’s recordings (or download them from other sources). They are good, but he tends to pronounce V as in voice and ae as e. Bedwere has many readings of both Latin and Greek (using Italianate pronunciation for the former, Erasmian for the latter) texts at librivox.org; I have heard some of his Vulgate (which you may download at https://archive.org/details/@bedwere) and think they are very pleasant to hear.
Happy readings!
Also, when working through Familia Romana, do all the exercises, and even use the separate Exercitia Latina if you can. Do not move on to the next chapter before you can understand the entire current one with no problem (for that, read, reread and reread again as many times as needed!), and always review past chapters (which you can do more easily with recordings, although I would not neglect also rereading them).
Festīnā lente.
One more thing: the site Bedwere linked also has many Greek works with facing Latin translations; as you also know Greek, when you Latin gets better you may be interested to take a look at them.
Many, many thanks for your answers. It is the best forum I’ve ever found.
If you have any further advice, I’d be happy to hear it.
I am glad I have been useful!
You absolutely useful.
I am from Hungary, and I got used to people not being very useful if I ask.
In this site every people is helpfull.
If I am not mistaken, Hungarian distinguishes longs and shorts, does it not? If so, you will have a great advantage pronouncing both Latin and Greek over us Romance and English speakers.
Yes, you know this well. Hungarian distinguish shorts and longs. But it is absolutely different from the Indo Germanic languages.
I could explain for hours.
I’m using Roma Aeterna to practice Latin while I devote my main energy to Greek. RA is a compilation of several famous Latin texts, lightly adapted. Each reading gives a reference to the main text from which it is taken. Thanks to the references, I’ve been able to find the source texts online, and also English translations, which are helpful sometimes when I don’t understand a sentence.
I believe Roma Aeterna is intended for the student who has finished FR.
I’d like to continue with Roma Aeterna, but I am not sure after finishing FR, I will be able to read RA. It might bebe a deep jump to me. I believe Vulgate and Aquinas much more easier than Vergil, but I want to attain higher knowledge in Latin beforr returning to the Ecclesiastical Latin.
Sorry for my English, I am not perfect.
Before moving on to Roma Aeterna from Familia Romana you could try Ørberg’s Sermones Romani (a lightly adapted anthology of ancient authors: Plautus, Phaedrus, Cato, Cicero, Tacitus, Plinius, the Vulgate, Horatius, Gellius, Martial and an account of the martydom of some Christians from Scillium, an African Roman city), his selections of Plautus’ Amphitryo and Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vivarium Novum’s edition of Epitome Historiae Sacrae, all of which are intended to be read after Familia Romana (provided you have mastered all its grammar and vocabulary!). Do continue to read Aquinas and the Vulgate if you find ease in it: their Latin may be later than Virgil’s and Cicero’s, but nonetheless it is Latin.
And if you want to improve your English, this book teaches English the same way LLPSI teaches Latin. Indeed, Ørberg originally wrote a Latin course for the Nature Method Institute (the company who made that book) called Lingua Latina secundum Naturae Rationem Explicata, and, if I am not mistaken, kept the copyright for himself; after the Institute shut down, he rebranded it as Lingua Latina per se Illustrata and published it through his own publisher Domus Latina. Courses on Italian and French following the same method and made by the same institute are also available in archive.org, if you are also interested in those languages. Keep in mind the language is a bit dated, but colloquial language changes so quickly that it would be necessary to republish a book every twenty years or so to always be up to date; for formal language it should suffice.
And please do not be afraid to writte in here just because your are a foreigner and your English is not that good! I myself am Brazilian, Bedwere, if I am not mistaken, is Italian, and I am sure a great many other people here are from other countries as well. Everyone makes mistakes, even the English and the Americans themselves; if you notice one, just move on and be more careful next time. There is no need to be sorry.
Your answer was uplifting and encouraging I will try Sermones Romani after reading FR. I hope later I will be able to read Roma Aeterna and later easier original Latin texts.
I have been looking for an English book you recommending to me so I start reading this book soon, and try to improve my english.
If you have any other learning advice, I’d be happy to hear it.