anybody know a good way to learn Latin?

[Will M]

I have developed quite an interest in Antiquity & the Middle Ages as well as traditional Christian thought. As part of this I have decided to learn Latin. This is going to be quite a challenge as I am more of a math/science guy than a language/arts guy. I was going to order a book from Amazon & dive in. However it seems a bit daunting. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding how to go about this? Textbook or CD/DVD recommendations?
Any help is appreciated.

- Brett

[improbus]

Well...as a high school Latin teacher, I might have a little expertise in the field. The first thing you need to identify is what you want to read. That dictates what you need to focus on. It sounds like you are most interested in the early Christian writers, so my suggestion would be to start with the Vulgate (which is the Latin translation of the bible done by Jerome). The Latin in it is fairly simple, but more importantly, it is something you most likely already know. That will allow you to have an easier time with the vocabulary and the forms.

Here is a link to a decent site with the Vulgate and the King James Version side by side. http://www.latinvulgate.com/

[Will M]

Thanks.

But I currently know near zero Latin. I'd love to be able to understand the Latin in the Vulgate & read Virgil's Aeneid in Latin. I'm not as interested in the Church Fathers as I am in later writers like John of the Cross or Meister Eckhardt. After reading a lot of Jung I have a great interest in alchemy & Hermeticism.

What textbook due you use for your class? Do you like it?

[Chip R]

Rosetta Stone?

[JaxRed]

I'm relatively certain that the Reds are all that Will and I have in common.

[GotHeeeeem]

I took Latin for a total of 6 years between high school and college. How many times have I used it since? Only once to point out how a guy's tattoo of some inspirational words in Latin was actually wrong.

[marcshoe]

Go to where it is spoken in everyday life and immerse yourself in the language.

The down side to this method is that no one has built a working time machine yet.

[klw]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Rosetta Stone?

The Rosetta Stone only has Greek and two Egyptian languages on it and would thus not be helpful for learning Latin. Plus as it is a stone in London, the practicality of using it for any of those 3 it may be on the low side.

[Will M]

The Kenton county library has access to "Mango Language Learning" which is an intuitive way to learn languages. I am combining that with a textbook/workbook & dictionary that I found cheap at the Cincinnati Friends of the Library Warehouse in Hartwell (THE cheapest & best place to buy used books in Cincinnati). I think it will be a good start.

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by JaxRed

I'm relatively certain that the Reds are all that Will and I have in common.

I was following up until alchemy. No offense Will.

[Will M]

Originally Posted by Superdude

I was following up until alchemy. No offense Will.

alchemy is a kind of non Christian thought that was forced underground. its not really about turning lead into gold but rather about spiritual purification.
Jung searched all over Europe for really old alchemy texts & wrote a book on the psychology of alchemy. alchemy is very interesting but very difficult for a 21rst century person to grasp (myself included).

Hermeticism is a kind of religious thought that along with Gnostic ideas was floating around in the late Roman Empire but had to go underground due to the intolerance of the Christians once they became the official religion.

the rediscovery of a lot of these ideas in the late middle ages (along with other classic ideas) led into The Renaissance.

[Bob Sheed]

Originally Posted by klw

The Rosetta Stone only has Greek and two Egyptian languages on it and would thus not be helpful for learning Latin. Plus as it is a stone in London, the practicality of using it for any of those 3 it may be on the low side.

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by Will M

alchemy is a kind of non Christian thought that was forced underground. its not really about turning lead into gold but rather about spiritual purification.

I got it now. Not that turning lead into gold isn't a worthwhile endeavor.

[GotHeeeeem]

There is a Rosetta stone Latin version. I've used it before.

[kaldaniels]

Speaking of Rosetta Stone, anyone have a quick blurb as to how well it works?