Basically after finishing LL:FR is it worth progressing ont o LL:RA or getting one of the readers from the same series? Thing is I can read Latin, being a second year etc, it’s just a little slow and I’m looking to revise before term starts, currently on Capitulum XXIV of LLFR, I’m wondering whether it’s a good purchase for someone at my level right now or if I should just pick up one of the readers.
Thing is term starts soonish and I’m juggling this and reading the Iliad, is Roma Aeterna a massive headache?
I think the route you go should depend on your interest. I don’t have it in front of me, but I recall that Roma Aeterna gets a lot harder a lot faster than Familia Romana. I assume this is because Orberg tries to adapt original authors as much as possible. There is a lot of new vocabulary and the chapters are quite long. The early parts of the book are all about Roman history and adapted from Livy and similar authors. Personally, I find this boring, but many disagree.
Te oportet viam optare quae te valde intersit. In manus deest, sed memini librum “Roma Aeterna” lectu arduum ocior fieri quàm prior volumen. Arbitror hoc constare quòd Orberg auctores Romanos, quandoque potest, in libro inserere conatur. Multa sunt vocabula atque capitula haud brevia. Pars libri anterior de Romanorum historia oritur e libris Livii aliorumque scriptorum rerum gestarum. Ecquidem haec mihi insulsa videntur, multis autem placent.
The only other Orberg reader I’ve used is his short version of the Gallic Wars. I actually used this before I started the main course, so I can’t say how the transition is. Generally, it’s unadapted (though excerpted) Caesar with copious notes. It’s probably easier in some ways than Roma Aeterna, given that you can stick with the same author and that Caesar likes to keep things straight-forward.
Praeter Caesaris commentariis de bellis Galllicis, librum ab Orberge editum legi nullum. Cum hunc etiam legerim priusquam series Lingua Latina mihi nota erat, non possum dicere an tibi facile sit lectu. Ut magis dicam, Orberg Caesaris verba non emendavit sed plurima nota addidit; liber autem integer non est. Cum Caesarem ipsum semper legis, auctor qui limpide scripsisse fertur, hic fortasse lectu facilior fiet quàm Roma Aeterna.
I think your Latin will improve either way. Browse some copies if you can get your hands on them. Quacumque via progrederis, certo linguam latinam bene discis. Si potes, ipse hos libros carpe et sape.