Ritchie's Fabulae Faciles: A First Latin Reader

by John Copeland Kirtland, Francis Ritchie

The Fabulae Faciles, or 'Easy Stories' are four Greek myths retold in Latin, not by a Roman writer, however, but by an Englishman, who believed that they would afford interesting and pleasant reading for young folks who were just beginning the study of the Latin language. By myth is meant an imaginative tale that has been handed down by tradition from remote antiquity concerning supernatural beings and events. Such tales are common among all primitive peoples, and are by them accepted as true. They owe their origin to no single author, but grow up as the untutored imagination strives to explain to itself the operations of nature and the mysteries of life, or amuses itself with stories of the brave exploits of heroic ancestors.

The most beautiful and delightful of all myths are those that have come down to us in the remains of the literature and the art of ancient Greece and Rome; they are also the most important to us, for many of the great masterpieces of English literature and of modern art have been inspired by them and cannot be understood and appreciated by one ignorant of classical mythology.

(from the book's introduction)

Genres: Classics, Reference

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1898

Reviews

[Ben Koops · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eindelijk! Dit was ploeteren omdat ik in het begin echt mijn best deed om alles letterlijk woord voor woord te vertalen. Al snel ging ik over op lezen zonder begrip om te wennen aan zinsstructuur en omdat het anders nog een halfjaar zou hebben geduurd. Ik deed het gelijk op met Latijn voor beginners van peter gray dus toen ik die uit had heb ik hem een tijdje opzij gezet. Pfoe, uiteindelijk begreep ik misschien 30-40% van de zinnen in grote lijnen. Vooral het verhaal van Perseus had veel vrij makkelijke stukjes waar ik grote brokken van kon vertalen. Na Hercules heb ik het grotendeels opgegeven en heb ik hem gewoon uitgelezen. Zeker geschikt als eerste leestekst maar vereist toch al een vrij primaire basis qua woordschat, ook al staat die voor de meeste woorden achterin, en zinsbouw. Ik had meer nodig dan alleen Gray kon bieden. En je kunt het natuurlijk wel letterlijk vertalen maar het moet met een beetje gevoel ook een kloppende zin en goed Nederlands worden, dus de intentie achter de zin afhankelijk van context. Bon, we gaan moedig door.

[Rachel Ward-Dutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often boring but mercifully short. Seemed to help with my Latin reading, though.

[Antony Vathy-Riakos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently reread this lovely little book that I once used in teaching my Latin students, long, long ago. I later wrote a Latin course, and the arduous nature of the task makes me appreciate Francis Ritchie’s achievement all the more. His selection of stories, all based on myth and epic literature, is engaging. He provides an excellent glossary at the end of the book, and grammatical exegesis for each story, including explanations for some Latin idioms. My only complaint is that the ending comes too soon, leaving Ulysses after his adventure with Circe. Were I a young student, I’d want to know about the cattle of the Sun, Scylla and Charybdis, and the engaging Calypso. For the teacher, there are English to Latin sentences based on the reading.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Via legentibus app.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed quite easy - perhaps especially useful for giving cultural info / reference points in Latin itself.

[Clement Ying · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read is always easier than to write.

Try to reverse translate English into Latin, and you will see the difference. :-)