Latin was once the exclusive language for about 10 to 20 million people in Europe and a second language for millions more, a necessity for anyone conducting business with (or under the oppression of) the dominion of Rome. As local versions of spoken Latin evolved into various separate tongues (the twelve-plus Romance languages), Latin itself continued for over a millennium as a lingua franca and scholarly language, and the Latin alphabet still remains the preference for writing down the world's languages. And even today Radio Finland offers short Latin newscasts Friday and Saturday each week via shortwave radio and the World Wide Web, doubtless reckoning that more world citizens understand Latin than the 4 million who speak Finnish! Latin has also heavily influenced the vocabulary of all non-Romance languages in Europe, among which English has imported the greatest number of Latin-based words, now counting perhaps 50% of its vocabulary as Latinate.

One of the great fonts of Western literature and Western thinking in general is ancient Greek literature and civilization, augmented by its heir, Latin literature and Roman civilization. The epic and the adventure story find their oldest forms in the Iliad and the Odyssey augmented and modernized by Vergil in the Aeneid. The Romans themselves broadened their Latin vocabulary with loans from Greek, just as English now does from both Latin and Greek.

Ancient Latin differs from English markedly in structure and social perspective. Though it can be daunting, the conquest of this language is ultimately a rewarding effort. I've taught and tutored many students, both in the classroom and electronically, and I'm willing to accommodate you if you're interested.