Thank you, Joshua. I think Harris' approach is sound and would apply just as well to learning Latin as to learning Greek. I took the group's advice and ordered a copy of Orberg's book. Thanks everyone!

Quote from Bryan

Hello Remus, welcome!

I am not familiar with the Memoria Press version, but I would like to recommend Hans H. Ørberg's Lingua Latina per se Illustrata series (link). Everything is in Latin from the beginning, but illustrated and simple.

Thank you, Bryan. That was helpful. Looking more at the Memoria Press course, it seems that they are teaching Church Latin, not Classical Latin, which is a deal breaker for me

I'm looking at home study Latin courses. This one from Memoria Press seems geared toward home schoolers, and is nicely divided into Forms 1-4 with accompanying workbooks, etc. Does anyone have other recommendations?

Latin Curriculum | Memoria Press: Classical Education

Our award-winning Latin Curriculum is designed to teach your student to master the Latin grammar through an easy to use, step-by-step process.

www.memoriapress.com

Hello Holly

I've noticed that the bust of Lucretius in the Villa Borghese is the only one that doesn't have Lucretius sporting a Roman aquiline nose. What does that mean? Perhaps nothing.

Speaking from the viewpoint of a Novice, it certainly feels true. I wasn't expecting quite so much Physics/Natural Science. But, like The Dude, Remus abides.

This confirms, once again, that everything sounds better with a posh English accent.

That was truly interesting. Thank you for sharing it.

I’m reminded of the tribe I learned of many years ago that had just four numbers: One, Two, Three, and Many.

Cassius,

I've hesitated to respond because I am so new here and think of myself as a student not a teacher. I do want to help, though, and in my spare time I put together 6 additional questions and answers to add to the De Witt quiz. This weekend I could certainly come up with 5 or 6 more.

I've read the De Witt book three times (twice a few years ago and once again recently) so I think I have enough familiarity with it to extract some good material for a quiz. If I could have someone check me for accuracy I think it would be fine.

Give me a way to send you the Q&A and I'll send what I have this weekend.

"Stoicism is self tyranny" is my takeaway quote for this episode.

I have a question arising from this episode:

What are the implications for the modern day concept of Natural Rights and universal human rights (which is supposed to be based on Nature) if there are no moral lessons to be learned from Nature other than the pleasure/pain motivation? What does Epicurus say?

Wikipedia:

According to the theory of law called jusnaturalism, all people have inherent rights, conferred not by act of legislation but by "God, nature, or reason." Natural law theory can also refer to "theories of ethics, theories of politics, theories of civil law, and theories of religious morality."

• Natural rights are those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and so are universal, fundamental and inalienable (they cannot be repealed by human laws, though one can forfeit their enjoyment through one's actions, such as by violating someone else's rights). Natural law is the law of natural rights.

This arrived. It looks like a worthwhile read.

But first, I’ve begun reading this…

Pleasure before politics!

Your post made me curious about tattoos in Ancient Greece. It seems they were taken as a sign of “Otherness.”

https://greekreporter.com/2023/07/15/tattoos-ancient-greece/

Quote from Cassius

That's basically the story of "Gladiator" and the older "Fall of the Roman Empire" with Ava Gardner and Alec Guinness as Aurelius? I've been meaning to rewatch those.

I don't think Commodus' paternity was ever brought up in the film, as best I recall. I've never seen "Fall of the Roman Empire...but if it has Alec Guinness in it I'll have to.

You don't ever want to watch a movie like Gladiator with me. In between popcorn munching at the first rate entertainment I'm going to lose control and say "It didn't happen that way!"

A “nasty, fatalistic, bordering on fascist” philosophy indeed!

It was commonly assumed at the time that Commodus, the son of Marcus Aurelius, was not his son but the son of one of Aurelius’ wife’s many paramours: a common gladiator. Whether true or not, this may go some way toward explaining the fatalistic tone of the Meditations. Just my two cents (or two denarii).

I listened to the podcast and was struck once again by the idea that If the gods have no bodies then they have no sensation and cannot relate to us or interact with us. (Fanciful science fiction plot lines featuring godlike "creatures of pure energy" not withstanding.)

"Pleasure Activist" is my new phrase of the day.

The West is a guilt-culture, although some have observed that the Internet is changing it into a shame based culture. If so, I wonder if shame is any healthier than guilt.

Reading this thread motivated me to order the book on Amazon. Thank you, all.

Quote from Kalosyni

Welcome to the forum Remus

Based on your ongoing study and reading, here are some sections which may be of interest to you (if you haven't already seen them):

• Self-Study Quiz

• Draft Your Own Personal Outline of Epicurean Philosophy

  
  

I'm looking at them now. Thank you!

(I'll take the Quiz on a day I haven't had a Sunday afternoon beer. Maybe next week.

Salve, Cassius!

Thank you for the introduction. I first took an interest in Epicurus and his philosophy about a year ago. His teachings came across as shockingly contemporary and i was hooked. I first read Inwood's Reader, and Diogenes Laertius' chapter on Epicurus, then read De Rerum Natura, and then read De Witt's book to try to get some perspective and digest it all.

I've been listening to the podcasts, off and on, for months, and also sniffing (lurking?) around the forum from time to time but only joined today. I feel like I'm just at the beginning. I don't have many answers, but I believe I'm now at the point that I can start asking the right questions.