Choosing only one classic Roman work...

[swimmermom3]

If you could choose only one great classic work from ancient Rome to read, what would it be? Aeneid? The Republic? Metamorphoses? Last Days of Socrates? DD will be reading The Iliad and numerous shorter Greek myths. I thought about The Aeneid, but her younger brother loathed it as much as he loved the Iliad. We could probably do without the sound effects of hinm rolling around on the ground and moaning, unless you all think we really need to read it.

[Ester Maria]

Professionally speaking, Aeneid.

On a personal note, Metamorphoses.

 

The other two of your choices aren't Roman though. :D

[swimmermom3]

Professionally speaking, Aeneid.

On a personal note, Metamorphoses.

 

The other two of your choices aren't Roman though. :D

 

Ester Maria, I love it when you show up even if I just proved that my brain cells are shot. I really did know that. Really. Swimmer Dude is going to be mortified for his mother. Don't tell him. Do I have any other choices?

 

ETA: Pride makes me want to edit that original post, but shoot, if someone is having a bad day, they should get a good chuckle.:D

Edited August 30, 2010 by swimmermom3

[MamaT]

I would have to say Aeneid. I read Church's Aeneid for Children (which is not an especially easy read), aloud to my youngest three last year while my high schooler read Aeneid.

 

As a side note, my high schooler's favorite Roman work of last year was by far The Reflections of Marcus Aurelius. He, even now, will pick it up and read passages on his own.

[Miss Marple]

The Aeneid. So many references to it will surface in his future reading.

[Corraleno]

How about Lombardo's Essential Aeneid plus selections from Marcus Aurelius? Lombardo's translations are less formal and more fluid than most (IMO), and the abridged Aeneid is only 200 pages. I've read his unabridged Illiad and Odyssey and really enjoyed them. You can read reviews of his translations on the Odyssey page.

 

Jackie

[Ester Maria]

Do I have any other choices?

Plenty, but if you want to do only one...

 

Aeneid is, I'm afraid, crucial - culturally. If it's only one, I strongly lobby for that one, even though I personally as a rule prefer Ovid to Virgil. But there are still some strikingly beautiful parts of Aeneid and many culturally important ones (esp. with regards to the underworld, a recurring theme later in Dante a lot).

Metamorphoses, though, are amongst my personal literary favorites. They are just so very beautiful. :)

 

Roman comedies are very good, particularly Plautus, if you're in for something shorter, you may enjoy them.

There is a collection of Ovid's poetry called Tristia which I'm also very fond of. Catullus and Horace have each a few very famous and beautiful poems. Petronius has Satyricon, which really is satirical and a fun read, high schoolers LOVE it to be given as a translation exercise after all those 'boring' Sallusts, Caesars and Livies. :D You have quite a few options, it boils down to what you want and what are your personal preferences.

[swimmermom3]

Plenty, but if you want to do only one...

 

Aeneid is, I'm afraid, crucial - culturally. If it's only one, I strongly lobby for that one, even though I personally as a rule prefer Ovid to Virgil. But there are still some strikingly beautiful parts of Aeneid and many culturally important ones (esp. with regards to the underworld, a recurring theme later in Dante a lot).

Metamorphoses, though, are amongst my personal literary favorites. They are just so very beautiful. :)

 

Roman comedies are very good, particularly Plautus, if you're in for something shorter, you may enjoy them.

There is a collection of Ovid's poetry called Tristia which I'm also very fond of. Catullus and Horace have each a few very famous and beautiful poems. Petronius has Satyricon, which really is satirical and a fun read, high schoolers LOVE it to be given as a translation exercise after all those 'boring' Sallusts, Caesars and Livies. :D You have quite a few options, it boils down to what you want and what are your personal preferences.

 

Ester Maria, this is for my dd who is coming home for her senior year after being in private/public school her entire life. I have one year, maybe a little more since she doesn't know what she wants to do. Her Great Books work has been very limited in her public high school. I think Romeo and Juliet is the extent of it. Anything else she has done, Bronte, Austen, Poe, Hawthorne, Plath, Bellow, Miller, has been on her own off of our bookshelves. I have always enjoyed literary discussions with her but oh the gaps! She has picked some of her material for this year such as Anna Karenina but has requested that I fill in the basics that she is missing. I am trying to pick works most alluded to as well as ones I have loved. I am also looking for the best translations but not ones that will blow her away with difficulty. Her youngest brother is home schooled and will be covering the Middle Ages so we will be doing such works as Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, The Inferno, etc. first. She will do originals and he will do either retellings or selections. In her case, I am willing to use abridged versions and selections because I want her to have the exposure. It's a delicate dance to build a more solid foundation without overwhelming her.

[Tullia]

I'd agree with the other suggestions that you assign the Aeneid since you're working with a high school student and have time for only one. It also fits your criterion of choosing a work which is widely cited or alluded to in other works. We listened to the Teaching Company lectures as we read through the Aeneid which gave ds some much-needed context and points of comparison to Greek literature. [At that point in our home school he was tired of hearing my opinions all the time. :D]And, it is true that so many of the other choices you might look at, such as Epictetus, are more what I'd classify as "Greco-Roman". It's difficult to untangle Roman literature from Greek influences.

 

My second choice would be selections from Marcus Aurelius' Reflections which I enjoyed as a high school student. Given your dd's background in literature to date, I'd suggest holding off on Ovid. Like Ester Maria, I find Roman comedy enjoyable, but some folks don't appreciate it.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Martha in NM
clarity

[swimmermom3]

I would have to say Aeneid. I read Church's Aeneid for Children (which is not an especially easy read), aloud to my youngest three last year while my high schooler read Aeneid.

 

As a side note, my high schooler's favorite Roman work of last year was by far The Reflections of Marcus Aurelius. He, even now, will pick it up and read passages on his own.

 

I completely forgot about The Reflections of Marcus Aurelius. My dd would appreciate and enjoy this work on so many levels.

 

How about Lombardo's Essential Aeneid plus selections from Marcus Aurelius? Lombardo's translations are less formal and more fluid than most (IMO), and the abridged Aeneid is only 200 pages. I've read his unabridged Illiad and Odyssey and really enjoyed them. You can read reviews of his translations on the Odyssey page.

 

Jackie

 

I ordered Lombardo's translation for Aeneid. The Hive is right in that she does need this for reference. Using the abridged version allows me to put one more book into her schedule. I also ordered The Reflections of Marcus Aurelius and Metamorphoses for my personal enjoyment. Our home library is well-stocked from about the 1700s on. It is woefully inadequate for the times prior to that.

 

Thank you everyone for your help especially at this slightly stressful time as I scurry to have a plan in place for my dd on such short notice. There are are several of you that generously offer your support, knowledge, and encouragement repeatedly. You are in my hearts and I wish you all the best for a memorable and meaningful school year with your families.

[WishboneDawn]

I'm glad you ordered Metamorphoses. I agree that the Aeneid is the must read must Metamorpohoses shouldn't be passed up. I read parts of it aloud to my daughter, then 10, and we both loved it. Passionate, naughty, funny, epic...It's the cure for anyone who suffers from the delusion that classics are dull and slow.

[Miss Marple]

Oh, dear, you all just cause me to stimulate the economy a bit. I purchased the Essential Aeneid as well as the Essential Homer. Both look like just what I need for the boys this year.

[swimmermom3]

Oh, dear, you all just cause me to stimulate the economy a bit. I purchased the Essential Aeneid as well as the Essential Homer. Both look like just what I need for the boys this year.

 

Glad to hear I am not the only one.:lol: I haven't really seen the value in being on Paperback Swap in finding school books for Swimmer Dude, but hey, start searching for Great Books and it's a gold mine. Older is fine, as long as it's the right translation since they'll just get written in anyway.

 

JennW has me anxiously waiting for Sophie's World and the Monkey book.

[Miss Marple]

Glad to hear I am not the only one.:lol: I haven't really seen the value in being on Paperback Swap in finding school books for Swimmer Dude, but hey, start searching for Great Books and it's a gold mine. Older is fine, as long as it's the right translation since they'll just get written in anyway.

 

JennW has me anxiously waiting for Sophie's World and the Monkey book.

 

Ah, I loved Sophie's World! But tell me about the Monkey book - I may need to place another order :lol:

[Corraleno]

Ah, I loved Sophie's World! But tell me about the Monkey book - I may need to place another order :lol:

 

I like this edition of Monkey.

 

Jackie

[Corraleno]

Lisa, what edition of Ovid did you get? I love the Ted Hughes translation, Tales from Ovid: 24 Passages from the Metamorphoses

 

Jackie

Edited September 1, 2010 by Corraleno

[swimmermom3]

Jackie, I ordered the Hughes book for Ovid and the same book you linked for Monkey. However, I have credits to use up on papaerbackswap, so I ordered Mendelbaum's translation of Metamorphoses. I think I mentioned that the LLfLOTR unit on Epics also has a short section on translations that seems to be growing as I collect examples. The exercise on translations goes hand in hand with something my dh has tried to explain to the kids for years. He grew up in Japan and attended an International school. When he gets together with his friends or sometimes with his siblings, they will revert to Japanese. Dh has explained to the kids that it's not that they are saying things that they don't want others to know (usually!) but that certain phrases or storytelling don't translate well. I didn't fully grasp this explanation until I read the book dh's uncle wrote about his experiences growing up in China. The uncle then went on to help establish the Chinese language program at Yale. In his book, he talks a lot about language and meaning and the subtleties not available in the English language.

[Corraleno]

Jackie, I ordered the Hughes book for Ovid and the same book you linked for Monkey. However, I have credits to use up on papaerbackswap, so I ordered Mendelbaum's translation of Metamorphoses. I think I mentioned that the LLfLOTR unit on Epics also has a short section on translations that seems to be growing as I collect examples. The exercise on translations goes hand in hand with something my dh has tried to explain to the kids for years. He grew up in Japan and attended an International school. When he gets together with his friends or sometimes with his siblings, they will revert to Japanese. Dh has explained to the kids that it's not that they are saying things that they don't want others to know (usually!) but that certain phrases or storytelling don't translate well. I didn't fully grasp this explanation until I read the book dh's uncle wrote about his experiences growing up in China. The uncle then went on to help establish the Chinese language program at Yale. In his book, he talks a lot about language and meaning and the subtleties not available in the English language.

 

This is an interesting dissertation on the role of language in learning physics, how some concepts are not well expressed in English (e.g. the Hopi language may be more effective for discussing quantum physics than English), the potentially distorting effect of analogies, etc.

 

It's an important concept in anthropology as well — did you get my PM about the anthro course (I wasn't sure if it went through, my DSL line has been dropping out randomly, and I didn't save a copy to my sent folder)? I can make sure to explicitly include articles on that topic if it's an idea you want to address from several different perspectives.

 

Jackie

[swimmermom3]

This is an interesting dissertation on the role of language in learning physics, how some concepts are not well expressed in English (e.g. the Hopi language may be more effective for discussing quantum physics than English), the potentially distorting effect of analogies, etc.

 

It's an important concept in anthropology as well — did you get my PM about the anthro course (I wasn't sure if it went through, my DSL line has been dropping out randomly, and I didn't save a copy to my sent folder)? I can make sure to explicitly include articles on that topic if it's an idea you want to address from several different perspectives.

 

Jackie

 

I've never thought about it in terms of science before, only in terms of literature, but that makes complete sense with anthropology. I will pm you about that aspect. If you have nothing else to do with your time;), you might check out this book, They Called Us White Chinese. It is a daunting 900 pages, but "Uncle Bob" was a remarkable story teller who lived an amazing life and linguistics is a large part of his story. I often thought that if he had lived in a preChristian culture, he would have been an extraordinary bard.