Essential Latin

The Routledge Essential Latin Course is the ideal introduction to to Latin for students and armchair enthusiasts alike. Written with humour and illustrated with cartoons, this modern, user-friendly text places grammar lessons in a historical context and offers a series of fascinating glimpses into the world of Ancient Rome.

Through a variety of authentic texts, the student is guided through the mechanics of Latin, whilst gaining an insight into the glory that was Rome, its power struggles and the eventual fall of the empire. The writings of Virgil, Cicero, Juvenal and many others appear in the original Latin with accompanying translations.

Extensively revised and updated throughout, this second edition features:

• Model sentences, practice exercises, amusing illustrations and summaries to accompany each grammar point
• Reading passages taken directly from Latin literature, with new additions such as Ovid, Petronius and Tacitus
• Vocabulary exercises, including those for English-to-Latin and the study of derivations and Latin expressions in modern use.
• A companion website providing a full answer key for exercises, appendices with grammar tables, an easy-reference vocabulary list, notes on Latin authors, a time chart of important dates and a glossary of major historical individuals.
• Supporting audio material, freely available from the companion website, offering students an invaluable opportunity to enhance their listening skills and historical understanding

Ideal for classroom use or independent study, The Routledge Essential Latin Course provides a thorough grounding in the grammatical framework of the language while also presenting a comprehensive survey of the life, history and customs of a culture that continues to influence our own.