My name is Hugo and I currently live in Berlin, Germany. I have joined this forum, because I have started learning Latin by myself and I intend to soon start with Ancient Greek as well. Not enjoying the benefits of a classroom environment, I thought it a good idea to join this community. I came to know it through my search for the best methods and books to learn these ancient languages. Some of your posts and discussions were most illuminating and I am already in your debt (special thanks to rmedinap and Lucus Eques)
I am currently following the Orberg method for Latin, with Lingua Latīna, the Exercitia, the Nova Exercitia and the Colloquia Personārum. I am only at chapter five, but it has already proved to be one of the most enjoyable learning voyages I have ever endeavoured.
For Ancient Greek I am planning to use the Italian version of the Athenaze series and complementary exercise books and the Griechischer Lehrgang, by Güther Zuntz.
I speak five modern languages (Portuguese, French, Italian, English and German), I’m a good cook and I’m owned by two cats.
If you have any words of advice or encouragement for someone still at the very beginning of the road, they’d be very much appreciated
Since you’re owned by two cats (I can relate: my wife and I are owned by four, plus a puppy), combine two loves. Practice speaking some Latin and Greek to the cats. I’ve done this from time to time and it is fun. The cats don’t respond, but it helps me. Maybe it will help you, too.
Hahahaha, cannot believe other people do this too!
At the moment I recite my Latin paradigms to my cats and also read chapters of Lingua Latīna to them. The reception varies between mild interest to uninterested contempt.
Thank you for sharing and greetings to that big family of yours!
I’ve said things like, “Catule bone” (tip of the hat here to the Latin version of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” for the word for “kitty”/“kitten”), “Ecce aqua”, “Ecce cibum”, etc. Have also done this with Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew. (In the latter case, I had to borrow a word for cat from Rabbinic, which also is used in Israeli.)Fun stuff.
