Roman Home Life and Religion - Paperback

Roman Home Life and Religion - PREFACE - THE aim of this book is to give a view, through ancient literature itself, of certain, important aspects of Roman home life and Religion. It may be used partly as a Reader and partly for the general study of those sides of social life. The answer to the question For what year is it intended is not easy. The main purpose is to illustrate as fully as possible the subjects chosen, though many passages have had to be omitted for reasons of space, or kept as more appropriate for other volun es that were initially planncd on School and University life, Public life, c. At thc same time enough passages for translation had to be provided, and to keep these within arbitrary limits would not only restrict the utility of the book as a reader, but would diminish its illustrative force. Secondly, the authors hold the view that boys can be kept too rigidly to the narrow lines of a syllabus. Apart from reading this or that set book of Caesar, Livy, or Virgil, they should acquire ideas on Roman life and culture. Passages which it is important for this purpose that they should read, and which are yet too difficult for them to translate, should be translated to them. And so we would answer the question by saying that there is plenty of reading here within the powers of boys in their third year, and yet enough for a sixth form, or even the undergraduate, to read with advantage. The translation, however, of most of the difficult or Silver Latin passages keeps the book within the scope of the average boy in his fourth year, and gives him the practice in unseens that he then begins to need. It is a common experience that Classical teaching in schools and sometimes evenin Universities has lacked, and still lacks, background and reality. Masterpieces of literature, whole tracts of history are presented in vacuo. This is one of the reasons why boys, or the parents of boys, who do not continue their Latin into the Sixth Form, complain that they get nothing out of it. If boys appreciated the vivid reality of the ancient world and its relation to the modern, the literature would live in their hearts, with meaning for the realities of modern life. School editions are needed of books like Dr. Warde Fowlers on Roman life and religion. But even if we had them, the exigencies of the modern timetable would restrict their use. But there are here collected many of the passages on which such works are based. They may be read for translation or unseen, or may provide a keen master with subjects for discussion. One hour a week could surely be given to them, familiarity with the language be thereby increased, and interest in the Classical work generally be deepened or awakened. For this rapid reading is necessary the rigour of construe must be for the time ignored...