Customer Reviews

Modern Latin, Book Two

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Sadler's books provide a good introduction to the Latin language. The first book covers all the basics of the Latin language - nouns and the various declensions, verbs in all the conjugations, parts of speech, word order, etc. Sadler introduces these with a remarkably small vocabulary list - a little over 500 basic words, from which literally thousands of words can be derived by prefix and suffix additions. This is a basic vocabulary for classical Latin reading.

The second volume continues this with a review of grammar. Those who have had some Latin training can start with the second volume and use this first chapter as a review. After this, Sadler's second volume becomes a reader, with passages arranged according to historical period - Roman monarchy (the earliest times, not imperial Rome); the early Republic; the late Republic; the Ciceronian Age; the Age of Augustus; the early Empire, writings of Aulus Gellius; Middle Ages; finally, an extended section on Ovid. All the major authors of the time are represented: Martial, Horace, Caesar, Pliny, Seneca, Petronius. The texts represent not only a method for learning Latin by engaging in readings, but also embody a good overview of Roman history, literature, and even mythology (particularly in the Ovid passages at the end).

The passages include poetry and prose. The passages here are interesting, and not contrived - they come from actual documents of the period, with only minor editing for making them accessible for translation by students. Sadler's notes and vocabulary are worthwhile, with vocabulary reviews after each major section. These vocabulary reviews include special highlights for grammar points that arise during the readings in the sections.

The second year text is useful after Sadler's first volume, after Wheelock, or after any number of other introductions. Together, they are a solid two-year introduction text, provided some additional material is brought in at strategic points.

It is sad that Sadler is the best choice for an intermediate college text. Those who teach courses of this type know that the dual objective is to review elementary grammar and to move as quickly as possible into connected reading. Sadler's text is "front-loaded" with a useful, but rather dull review of forms. There is no real review of syntax. For that, I suppose, the students are expected to blunder through the early readings--mushed up Livy--but there are no notes or cross-references in the reading passages. Sadler provides a good selection of adapted texts, chronologically organized, and some "real Latin" at the end. The appendix provides a summary of forms--employing the Nom./Acc./Abl./Dat./Gen. scheme that I still find ridiculous--and a bare listing of syntax, which is essentially useless. Why can't some brilliant Latinist take some time out of a busy schedule to write an intelligent intermediate text?