A collection of the writings of Rome's great poets, statesmen, and saints.
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More About the Author
Rose Williams grew up in West Texas and developed a love affair with the ancient Romans. She taught Latin in high school and college for many years. She now writes books in both English and Latin about history as impacted by the Romans and the ubiquitous Latin language. One of her earliest books is "Latin Quips at your Fingertips." Her "Gods and Other Odd Creatures," "The Original Dysfunctional Family," and "The Clay-footed Superheroes" romp through ancient mythology. "Once Upon the Tiber" and "The Lighter Side of the Dark Ages" are brief histories which combine a passion for accurate details with an acute sense of the human tragicomedy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brief but interesting!,
By D. Buxman "A Seeker of Truth" (Pueblo, CO United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Latin Quips at Your Fingertips (Hardcover)
This book contains about 200 latin quotes that have been translated into English. It is broken down into topics such as "Politics," "Money," and "Love." If you have an interest in Latin or Roman philosophy in general, this is an interesting read. I think this book would provide a good jumping off point in the study of any particular Roman philosopher, since it can help you to gain a sense of the ideas of Seneca or Syrus, for instance.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
10 "chapters", then ends with an introduction to the authors,
By Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Latin Quips at Your Fingertips (Hardcover)
There are approximately 200 quotations in the entire book, half of which appear in the first two chapters ("Wise Words" and "Follies & Vices"). Each quote is given in English, then in the original Latin, identifying the author and the work from which it's taken. Each page carries two quotations (with occasional illustrations thrown in), spread out so that no single author is repeated all the way down two facing pages.
That's important, because the 36 writers featured herein aren't quoted equally. Sixteen have only one quote each: St Augustine (from the CONFESSIONS), Caecilius, Catullus, Florus, Gellius, St Jerome, Livius Andronicus, Lygdamus, Macrobius, Nepos, Pentadius, Phaedrus, Prudentius, Silius Italicus, Suetonius (which is, in turn, a quote from the emperor Vespasian), and Varro. Of the remaining 20 writers, 11 have less than 5 quotes apiece, including Julius Caesar (4 from DE BELLO GALLICO) and Petronius Arbiter (2 from SATYRICON). The most heavily represented authors of the remainder are Syrus (over a quarter of the book, mostly from MAXIMS); the great writers of satire (Ovid, Juvenal, Horace, and Martial, between them providing more than 60 quotes); and a selection of famous names (Virgil, Seneca the Younger, and Cicero). So quite a few of the quotes herein have a bit of a sting in the tail. "Wise Words" even makes fun of itself ("I've seen many men avoid the region of good advice before they were really near it"), and contains quite a few snippets about the wisdom of *not* speaking ("Whatever you want to teach, be brief.") "Follies & Vices", of course, offers a great deal of scope to the great satirists and politicians among the contributing authors, from Horace's SATIRAE ("Why shouldn't a fellow laugh while he tells the truth?") to the orator Cicero ("Any man can make a mistake; only a fool keeps making the same one.") The title quote of the British edition comes from this section ("Going to Hell is easy; it's coming back that's hard!" - Virgil, AENEID). "Money, Politics, & Justice" often combines these topics, but not just by discussing bribery ("Thieves who steal from private citizens spend their lives in bonds and chains; thieves who steal from public funds spend theirs in gold and purple"). Ordinary politics also get a share, from Syrus' "False becomes true when the boss says it is" to Tacitus' "Everyone would have thought him fit to rule if only he never had". "Achievements" covers people who talk about their own too much, people who get fame either too late or undeserved, and a little good advice ("Consider yourself a great orator if you can talk yourself into unpleasant duties."). "Literature & Learning" is worth reading both from an author's point of view ("The book you're reading is mine, Fidentinus; but your lousy rendition is making it yours." - Martial) and a reader's ("No madman has ever dreamed up anything so weird that some philosopher will not say it." from Cicero). "Relationships", of course, offers a lot of scope to the satirists, many of whom were good at providing ammunition to woman-haters ("Always dread your lady's birthday; dark is the day that demands a present.", Ovid, ARS AMATORIA). But other kinds of relationships - friendship in particular - get a say here as well ("The word friend is common, the fact is rare.") But don't give up looking for quotes about romantic relationships; the book also contains chapters specifically for "Love" ("The gods never let us love and be wise at the same time") and "Women" ("When women equal men, they'll run the show", a quote that's over 2000 years old now). "Amusements" is very short, mostly the theatre - though oddly not including the famous playwrights among the authors - but one quote for the races. Finally, the book ends with "Miscellanea", covering a variety of subjects from bad doctors, bad wine, cowardly observers in battle (Caesar's line, that one), self-improvement, travel, and many more. In short, this book is recommended; it'll help you laugh.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Latin Quips for Latin Enthusiasts,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Latin Quips at Your Fingertips (Hardcover)
I fell in love with Latin in high school when I took it to escape the harder requirements of a modern language. I loved it from the start and it enhanced by English skills trememdously. Now, many years later, I am planning to go back and study Latin again, just for the joy of it. But finding any good books on the subject is rare these days for Latin is a "dead" language you know. So, when I saw "Latin Quips at Your Fingertips" a few years back I snatched it up. What a delightful book. It is a collection of actual quotes of many of the key figures from the Roman Empire; Pliny the Younger, Cicero, Virgil, Caesar, Seneca, the list goes on and on. The topics run from Follies & Vices, to Love, Relationships, and every thing in between. Lots of humor is sprinkled in for good measure. I just discovered that my nephew loves Latin too, so I tried to buy him a copy of the Latin Quips. Alas, it is out of print! Fortunately for me, Amazon.com saved the day and has both new and used copies. If you love Latin, better grab one quick before they are all gone. You don't want to miss this one!
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