The Cambridge Latin Course (CLC) is a series of

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

s published by

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, used to teach

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

pupils. It provides a grounding in vocabulary, grammar and sense which allows progression through Common Entrance exams into a Secondary, or, Public School. First published in 1970, the series is in its fifth edition as of April 2019. It has reached high status in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, being the most-used Latin course in the country for secondary school pupils, and being used by 85% of Latin-teaching schools.

Format

The course consists of a series of chapters, each of which includes stories and dialogues in Latin as well as vocabulary and grammar explained in English. There is a short history section at the end of each chapter to provide context on

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. The first story "Cerberus" begins: which means, in English:

Publication history

As of 2022, five editions of the course have been published. The latest edition, released in July 2022, made significant modifications and additions to the lessons in order to expand the perspectives shown of Roman life, with more representation of women and people of colour as well as a re-examination of slavery in the Roman world, and incorporate updated scholarship. As of July 2022, the Fifth Edition of Book 1 had been released in the United Kingdom edition, with the release of Book 2 in 2023, followed by Books 3 and 4 planned for 2024. Also there is a timeline for the publication of a new 6th edition of the North American edition, with Units 1 and 2 scheduled to be published in spring 2024.

Plot

Book I (published 1970)

The book tells the adventures of Caecilius, a banker, and Metella, his wife, in

Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...

from the reign of

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

to that of

Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...

. Sometimes the book deviates to talk about Caecilius' two slaves, their cook Grumio, and Clemens, and their frequent humorous mishaps. The book also discusses Metella's slave, Melissa. The book ends when

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

erupts, and Caecilius, Cerberus, Melissa, and Metella are killed in Pompeii. However, the book leaves the reader wondering whether Caecilius' son, Quintus, survives, as he indeed does, along with the slave, Clemens, and (in the fifth edition) Lucia. The fate of Grumio, the cook, is left ambiguous. The beginning of the book is very simple, but each stage develops more complicated grammar and vocabulary. This book introduces the nominative, dative, and accusative cases and different verb tenses including the present, perfect and imperfect.

Book II (published 1971)

The second book is set in

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. Julius Caes ...

near

Fishbourne Roman Palace Fishbourne Roman Palace or Fishbourne Villa is in the village of Fishbourne, West Sussex, Fishbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex. The palace is the largest known Roman residence north of the Alps, and has an unusually early date of 75 A ...

under

Agricola Agricola, the Latin word for farmer, may also refer to: People Cognomen or given name :''In chronological order'' * Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40–93), Roman governor of Britannia (AD 77–85) * Sextus Calpurnius Agricola, Roman governor of the m ...

, where Quintus meets Salvius and King Cogidubnus, who are historical figures. The book starts by introducing a new family, a Roman aristocrat, Salvius, who is a successful lawyer and senator in Rome. His family includes his wife, Rufilla, and many slaves, some of whom are Britons, others foreign. In the second half of the book, Quintus tells King Cogidubnus about his journey to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, where he met Barbillus, a friend of his father. Barbillus later dies of a wound during a hunting trip, and tells Quintus to find his son Rufus, who lives in Britain, thus explaining the reason for Quintus' visit.

Book III (published 1971)

The third book picks up in the Roman province of Britain, in the city of Aquae Sulis (

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

) in particular. Cogidubnus falls ill and goes to the baths at Aquae Sulis, and Salvius, seeing his chance, hatches a plot with the baths' owner, Lucius Marcius Memor, to kill him. Quintus foils the plan, much to Salvius' dismay. He also finds Barbillus' son Rufus and gives him a message. When Cogidubnus eventually dies in captivity, Salvius writes a false will for him. A continuous narrative throughout the book also includes Modestus and Strythio, two bumbling Romans in the military.

Book IV (published 1971)

In the fourth textbook, the setting moves to Rome, a few years after the events in Britain. Quintus is absent, and the main characters are Salvius, his ally Haterius, and several other Roman aristocrats, as well as some ordinary

citizens Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationality; ...

. Salvius coordinates the death of Paris, a famous pantomime actor, and exiles Domitia, the emperor's wife, whose affair with Paris was exposed.

Book V (first published 1971)

The book is set in Rome, after

has successfully conquered

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. Various acquaintances of the emperor, including Glabrio, an advisor to the emperor, are introduced, as well as the emperor himself. Glabrio accuses Salvius of the forgery of Cogidubnus' will, while Domitia accuses him of plotting her exile. Quintus is present at Salvius' trial. Salvius is convicted and sentenced to five years of exile. In the remaining chapters, the writings of several poets (particularly

Martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman and Celtiberian poet born in Bilbilis, Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of '' Epigrams'', pu ...

and

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

) and historical figures replace the narrative. In the upcoming Fifth Edition, Books IV and Book V will be combined into a single Book IV.

American editions

To suit the American format, books III and IV were combined.

Recurring characters

Main characters

* Lucius Caecilius Iucundus Caecilius is the protagonist of the first book. He is a banker who lives in Pompeii. When

erupts, Caecilius returns to attempt to save his family, but is killed when a wall of his house falls on him. * Quintus Caecilius Iucundus The son of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus and Metella, Quintus is the main protagonist of Books 2 and 3. He escapes Pompeii along with Clemens, and travels to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

and

. In Alexandria, he lives with Barbillus, who on his deathbed urges him to find and make amends with his son Rufus, a soldier in Britannia. At the beginning of Book 2, he is a guest of Salvius on his visit to King Cogidubnus, and tells Cogidubnus of his experiences after leaving Pompeii. In Book 3, he finds Rufus, but also becomes entangled in Salvius' plot against King Cogidubnus. Quintus appears once more in the final book, where he is present for the trial of Salvius. * Grumio Grumio (sometimes Lucius Spurius Pomponianius) is a slave cook working for Caecilius' family. During the book, he becomes involved in many misadventures, some of which resulting in Caecilius being harmed. During the book, it is suggested that he maintained a close relationship with Melissa, another slave owned by Caecilius. His death is left ambiguous. * Clemens Clemens (later Quintus Caecilius Clemens) is a slave of Caecilius' family. He tries unsuccessfully to save Caecilius in Pompeii, eventually leaving when Caecilius urges him to find Quintus and deliver his ring to him. Quintus manumits him and travels with him to Athens and Alexandria, where he buys him a glass-making shop. Clemens' efforts to establish his business and his initiation into the worship of

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

form a significant sub-plot in Book 2. * Gaius Salvius Liberalis Gaius Salvius Liberalis, a distant relative of Quintus, first appears in the second book. In the third book, it is revealed that he is conspiring against King Cogidubnus. In the fourth book, he becomes part of another conspiracy to exile Domitia and murder her lover Paris. In the final book, he is put on trial for his crimes and sentenced to five years of exile. * Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus Cogidubnus (Togidubnus in the 5th Edition) is a client king of the

Cantiaci The Cantiaci or Cantii were an Iron Age Celtic people living in Britain before the Roman conquest of Britain, Roman conquest, and gave their name to a ''civitas'' of Roman Britain. They lived in the area now called Kent, in south-eastern Englan ...

, a tribe of Britannia. First appearing in the Book 2, he becomes a close friend of Quintus. Cogidubnus becomes ill, and it is revealed that his advisor, Salvius, is trying to murder him. Although the conspiracy fails, Cogidubnus dies in captivity of his illness. * Belimicus and Dumnorix Belimicus is a chieftain of the Cantiaci tribe who first appears in the Book 2. Throughout the books he is jealous of Dumnorix, the chieftain of the Regnenses. (Dumnorix is later killed when he attempts to seek help from the governor of Britain, Agricola.) He helps Salvius in his plot to kill Cogidubnus, but begins to rebel against Salvius's authority, as he feels he deserves the kingship. Belimicus is murdered by Salvius with poison at the end of Book 3. * Quintus Haterius Latronius Haterius is a rich client and friend of Salvius who appears first in the fourth book. He constructs the arch of Titus for Domitian. He appears again, briefly, in the fifth book, in which he follows Salvius into exile. *

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...

Emperor Domitian first appears in Book 4, although he had been mentioned several times before, and plays a major role in Book 5. Domitian is the one whom Salvius takes orders from. Although Domitian instigated the crimes, Salvius does not implicate the emperor in order to save his son.

Other characters

* Metella, Caecilius' wife, Quintus' mother. She is presumably killed in Pompeii with Caecilius. * Poppaea, Grumio's lover, also a slave, who appears to have a short relationship with Clemens in Stage 11. * Lucrio, Poppaea's elderly master. * Hermogenes, who stole money from Caecilius and was later convicted in court. * Cerberus, Caecilius' family dog that dies in Pompeii. * Melissa, a very beautiful slave girl bought by Caecilius. It is sporadically suggested that she has some relationship with Grumio. * Lucia, sister of Quintus, introduced in the 5th edition. * Alexander, a friend of Quintus, Lucia denies and later admits that she is attracted to him. * Syphax, a slave trader from Syria. * Felix, a former slave of Caecilius, who was freed for saving the infant Quintus from a robber. * Decens, a would-be guest of Caecilius who apparently was killed by the ghost of Pugnax (a gladiator) on his way to the party. * Marcus,

Roman citizen Citizenship in ancient Rome () was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, traditions, and cu ...

, brother of Quartus. * Quartus, Roman citizen, brother of Marcus. * Sulla, a scribe who finds himself in the middle of a feud between Marcus and Quartus. In the 5th edition, Marcus and Quartus were removed, their feud was replaced by an argument between Quintus and Lucia. * Julius, friend of Caecilius. * Marcus Holconius Rufus, politician and patron of Pompeii, supported by Caecilius . * Milo, a very famous athlete. Quintus breaks his statue's nose with a discus. * Rufilla, Gaius Salvius Liberalis' wife, a relative of Quintus' who invites him to stay with them in Britain. * Bregans, a lazy British slave who gets in trouble for not working. * Loquax, slave known for singing. * Anti-Loquax, twin of Loquax, known for dancing. * Volubilis, Egyptian cook, slave of Salvius. * Varica, Salvius' slave manager. * Philus, learned slave of Salvius. * Domitilla, deceptive slave-girl of Rufilla. * Barbillus, a wealthy Alexandrian and a friend of Caecilius. He is based on the historical Tiberius Claudius Balbilus, a court astronomer to the emperors Claudius, Nero, and Vespasian. * Eutychus, a mob boss in Alexandria, whom Clemens runs out of the city. * Rufus, Barbillus' son and heir, searched for by Quintus. * Eupor, Rufus's Greek friend. * Lucius Marcius Memor, a lazy, greedy, obese

haruspex In the Ancient Roman religion, religion of ancient Rome, a haruspex was a person trained to practise a form of divination called haruspicy, the inspection of the entrails of Animal sacrifice, sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrifi ...

whom Salvius coerces into his plot to murder Cogidubnus. * Cephalus, Memor's assistant. * Modestus, a simple, clumsy, Roman soldier stationed in Britain. * Strythio, a friend and fellow soldier of Modestus. * Vilbia, native Briton, admirer of Modestus. * Bulbus, admirer of Vilbia. * Vitellia, wife of Haterius and sister of Rufilla. * Glitus, supervisor of the craftsmen working under Haterius. * Euphrosyne, a Greek philosopher. * Paris, a pantomime actor. * Myropnous, a dwarf pipe player, friend of Paris. * Domitia, his wife, in an affair with Paris. * Epaphroditus, a freedman of the emperor. * Manius Acilius Glabrio, aristocrat. * Gaius Helvidius Lupus, his friend. *

, a famous poet. * Sparsus, senator. * Clemens, a relative of the emperor. * Flavia, his wife. * Polla, their daughter, in love with Helvidius but betrothed to Sparsus. *

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...

, their son, made heir to the emperor. * Publius, their other son, also made heir to the emperor.

In popular culture

The popularity of the Cambridge Latin Course is such that the series has been indirectly referenced in television. The ancillary characters Caecilius, Metella and Quintus in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' episode " The Fires of Pompeii" are loosely based on those from the Cambridge Latin Course.The Fires of Pompeii - Fact File
. BBC. 12 April 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2008. In the opening episode of series four of '' Being Human'', the "Vampire Recorder" blurts out words from Book One of the Cambridge Latin Course (""), as part of the general nonsense he is chanting whilst pretending to perform a sacrificial ceremony. Grumio is the name of the slave in the TV series ''

Plebs In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of the gro ...

'', and characters named Metella and Flavia also appear.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Latin textbooks Book series introduced in 1970 Cambridge University Press books 20th-century books in Latin Works set in 1st-century Roman Empire Works set in Roman Britain Pompeii in popular culture Alexandria in fiction Cultural depictions of Domitian Fiction about slavery