The Classics Society Mk II

Ah well my knowledge of how Latin is taught pre-uni is obviously non existent, and I'm aware at how bizarre my Latin experience has been (speaking and writing so much) compared to most. Like I said, my cats respond rather well to it. Well most of my cats do, this one always waits for me to finish and then attacks me. But the other two are like "ita vero, domine!". Well "miaw" but you get the idea.

The trick with Greek law is to get a good overview and then focus on a particular "approach" you love. So for me it was mainly religion since that's one of my major research aims but it tends to stick things together better than trying to retain it all. Trying formalistic analysis of the mechanical stuff (Ekklesia etc) can be mind numbing and I have nothing but annoyance at those memories.

Have you tried role playing cases? Well not acting them out but take a speech and plot all the legal machimata used, and then do it for a similar case and see if it all adds up. (Hint: it rarely does).

People doing Roman Law have it so much easier. It's so much more sensible and non "LOL I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT, SUCK IT" in nature. I mean typical Roman example is something like.

Quintus sells Lucius a slave claiming he's healthy.
Slave dies. Lucius takes Quintus takes his case to an advocate who advises him.
Law court for misrepresentation.

Sensible. The Greek example:

Artemidotos buys 6 figs from Laoerges.
2 figs were rotten.
Artem. takes Lao. to court for trying to subvert the democracy,
Lao. accuses Artem of beating his own parents and sexual deviancy.
Artem. replies that Laos mother was a prostitute.
3 generations later people are still fighting in courts. Speech-writers get loaded.

Artemidotos buys 6 figs from Laoerges.
2 figs were rotten.
Artem. takes Lao. to court for trying to subvert the democracy,
Lao. accuses Artem of beating his own parents and sexual deviancy.
Artem. replies that Laos mother was a prostitute.
3 generations later people are still fighting in courts. Speech-writers get loaded.

I'm not crazy. Well..

Ah Roman Law is wickedofiyah. Someone I knew did their dissertation of the pricing, regulation (!) and social effects of prostitution in ancient Rome, focusing particularly on Ostia. There was a lot of law stuff involved.

Hahaha....it was an amusing, if at times harrowing, read.

A2: RIGHT. Shut up trouble-maker, and get to Sweden. *yank*

Ah well my knowledge of how Latin is taught pre-uni is obviously non existent, and I'm aware at how bizarre my Latin experience has been (speaking and writing so much) compared to most. Like I said, my cats respond rather well to it. Well most of my cats do, this one always waits for me to finish and then attacks me. But the other two are like "ita vero, domine!". Well "miaw" but you get the idea.

Question how do people learn vocab. I'm really worried mine is going to be nowhere near sufficient by my exam this summer in Greek to be able to translate the passages even though I understand the grammar.

First of all, is there a specific author who you need to be able to translate? If so, then search on the internet for a vocab list. I've found one for Homer which lists frequency. Apart from that, I just learn the list and find that repetition helps before, after a while, taking all the words that I still don't know and making a list of them using the same process all over again.

Apart from that, practicing on various passages and helping to build your vocabulary will help.

Homer book I, Aristophanes Clouds, Lysias' On the murder of Eratosthenes and 2 passages from the Phaedrus. So lots basically. I can only sort of translate it without a lexicon to hand atm.

Homer book I, Aristophanes Clouds, Lysias' On the murder of Eratosthenes and 2 passages from the Phaedrus. So lots basically. I can only sort of translate it without a lexicon to hand atm.

Question how do people learn vocab. I'm really worried mine is going to be nowhere near sufficient by my exam this summer in Greek to be able to translate the passages even though I understand the grammar.

Oh Zeus! I'M GOING TO GREECE IN THE SUMMER!



I'm so excited!!!

Me too!

Whereabouts are you going?

A lot of places. Athens, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi... All those well-known names

It is a Summer Course, they sent me an e-mail yesterday that I got a place. I'm sooo happy

How about you?

Awesome. I bump into any of you I shall most certainly try to rob you.

Sounds very cool, hope you have a good time. I'm just going to Cephalonia and Athens, not quite as academically orientated as your trip, but I'm sure I'll pass by a few museums -- if Lyceum doesn't steal my entrance money, that is.

Ah well, he can rob me, I'll have free entry So generous today...

Any good Classics related book stores in Athens? Unfortunately I don't know much Modern Greek (yet?)...

Oh by the wa museum wise, the national archaeology museum is one of the most important Anc Greek museums in the world, though all the good stuff is locked away for safety.

The war museum is a joke, only worth going in to laugh at it.

The Byzantine museum is one of my favourite museums and is up there with the BM and the Wallace Collection. Whoever organises and looks after that one is a god in my opinion.

Well ordered, the information is clear and accurate (unlike the others) and its definitely worth a visit.