Are you interested in learning the language of Virgil, Caesar, and Cicero? Are you a scientist or incipient medical professional who needs more experience with the etymology of your field's vocabulary? Would you like an introduction to the vocabulary and grammatical structure of Romance languages? Or do you struggle with English grammar? If any of these apply to you, you should take this introduction to Latin!

This course provides an introduction to the Classical Latin language, that is, the language of the later Roman Republic and the earlier Roman Empire—the language of authors like Cicero, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and Tacitus.  It also prepares one to read Medieval, Renaissance, or Ecclesiastical Latin texts. The principle objective of the course is the development of your ability to read ancient Latin texts as well as you can, as soon as you can. Another considerable benefit is a greater understanding of the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of related languages, including the prominent spoken languages in the United States, English and Spanish, as well as French and Italian. You will also improve your grasp of the specialized languages of the sciences, law, and philosophy; as such, Latin is a great way to prepare for law school or medical school. Last, but not least, you will acquire the unmistakable sophistication, gravitas ,and seductive wit that distinguish the student of the Classics. This intensive summer course constitutes roughly 1/2 of a traditional 3-quarter or two-semester first – year Latin course.  At its completion students should have a solid grounding in basic Latin vocabulary, forms, and syntax, and with some additional study, they will soon be able to read texts of moderate difficulty with the help of a dictionary and grammar.