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Wheelock's Latin
38 Latin Stories: Designed to Accompany Wheelock's Latin
Though intended as a supplement to Wheelock's Latin, this book is well suited for use in any introductory Latin course. All the stories in the book are based on actual Latin literature, with the stories simplified at first and made gradually more complex as the work progresses. Students will learn how classical Latin was really written as they become familiar with the works of the great Latin authors. Also available: Rome and Her Kings: Extracts from Livy I - ISBN 0865164509
Latin Readings for Review: Elementary Latin Translation Book - ISBN 0865164037 For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology , Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar . We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books. Some of the areas we publish in include: Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History
Latin Readings for Review: Elementary Latin Translation Book - ISBN 0865164037 For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology , Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar . We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books. Some of the areas we publish in include: Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
40 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 30, 2019
Over the past several years I've spent dozens of hours noodling over this little book, reading to myself or working with students over some of the introductory passages.
It doesn't seem like there's much here at first, a total of about 600 lines of Latin distributed over 38 passages, but the difficulty ramps up nicely. The first few are digestible with just a few weeks of Latin, but even with a few years of practice I can still break a sweat on the later passages. The representation is really wide-ranging, central authors like Caesar, Vergil, and Cicero are adapted here but also the likes of Terence, Sallust, and Petronius. Admittedly this is synthetic Latin but I think the styles of the various authors still manage to shine through.
Anyhow I realized a couple of weeks ago that I had never taken the trouble to knock out every single passage, so with that completionizing spirit in my breast I set out to finish the job. Back on the shelf now for a year or so, until its time for a refresher.
It doesn't seem like there's much here at first, a total of about 600 lines of Latin distributed over 38 passages, but the difficulty ramps up nicely. The first few are digestible with just a few weeks of Latin, but even with a few years of practice I can still break a sweat on the later passages. The representation is really wide-ranging, central authors like Caesar, Vergil, and Cicero are adapted here but also the likes of Terence, Sallust, and Petronius. Admittedly this is synthetic Latin but I think the styles of the various authors still manage to shine through.
Anyhow I realized a couple of weeks ago that I had never taken the trouble to knock out every single passage, so with that completionizing spirit in my breast I set out to finish the job. Back on the shelf now for a year or so, until its time for a refresher.
December 31, 2025
Designed to accompany the pedagogically backward grammar-translation of
Wheelock's Latin
, this consists of various short Latin texts.
However, what lets the authors down is their focus on translation. Did the Romans think in English, translate their ideas to Latin, communicate with each other in Latin, and then translate the Latin back to English again in order to understand? Of course not; they thought and understood in Latin. Yet this absurd process is what Latin teachers expect from Latin learners.
Texts when used properly in language learning can result in pedagogically strong content-focused second language graded reading. Understanding can be checked using comprehension questions, which often can be answered without having a complete understanding of the grammar/vocabulary. It is better for one's learning to read lots of easier level text than struggle through smaller amounts of harder texts.
The consequence however of the authors' bizarre focus on translation is that the texts are too short, overly grammar-focused, and completely lack comprehension questions. Illustrations would also have helped. Latinists' refusal to take notice of lessons from research into modern language instruction is bad for both teachers and students.
However, what lets the authors down is their focus on translation. Did the Romans think in English, translate their ideas to Latin, communicate with each other in Latin, and then translate the Latin back to English again in order to understand? Of course not; they thought and understood in Latin. Yet this absurd process is what Latin teachers expect from Latin learners.
Texts when used properly in language learning can result in pedagogically strong content-focused second language graded reading. Understanding can be checked using comprehension questions, which often can be answered without having a complete understanding of the grammar/vocabulary. It is better for one's learning to read lots of easier level text than struggle through smaller amounts of harder texts.
The consequence however of the authors' bizarre focus on translation is that the texts are too short, overly grammar-focused, and completely lack comprehension questions. Illustrations would also have helped. Latinists' refusal to take notice of lessons from research into modern language instruction is bad for both teachers and students.
April 28, 2019
Unity: Hunc librum solum in Latine legi.
3 Prompts:
1. Quōmodo studientes linguam Latinam optime discebunt? Studientes multis exemplis facilibusque optime discunt.
2. Debetne has fabulas longas esse? Non longas, sed parvas iucundasque necesse est.
3. Quō "Wheelock’s Latin Grammar” eget? Wheelock’s doctō solum grammatica plurīs pensīs eget
2 Implications:
1. Ego melius quam pensebam latine loquere possum. Cogitavi me non meminisse nullum linguae Latinae, sed multa memini!
2. Legere in partibus parvis optimum est. Si fabulae in hoc libro longiae fuissent, finire non potuissem.
Rating: 4/5
* Hic liber optimus studiandi latini est, sed primum, nimis cortus est, secundum, magis fabularum habere debet, et denique, vocabularium in marginis habere debet. Quamquam, hoc libro fructus sum maxime!
3 Prompts:
1. Quōmodo studientes linguam Latinam optime discebunt? Studientes multis exemplis facilibusque optime discunt.
2. Debetne has fabulas longas esse? Non longas, sed parvas iucundasque necesse est.
3. Quō "Wheelock’s Latin Grammar” eget? Wheelock’s doctō solum grammatica plurīs pensīs eget
2 Implications:
1. Ego melius quam pensebam latine loquere possum. Cogitavi me non meminisse nullum linguae Latinae, sed multa memini!
2. Legere in partibus parvis optimum est. Si fabulae in hoc libro longiae fuissent, finire non potuissem.
Rating: 4/5
* Hic liber optimus studiandi latini est, sed primum, nimis cortus est, secundum, magis fabularum habere debet, et denique, vocabularium in marginis habere debet. Quamquam, hoc libro fructus sum maxime!
July 21, 2017
This book accompanied me through the Wheelock Latin course. I recommend against reading it as a beginner without a teacher to double check one's understanding. Each chapter matches the Wheelock chapter nicely, but there are subtleties that must be worked out under guidance. These not not simple made-up stories but often extracts from original texts hence there are challenges that may be insurmountable for a self-study beginner. In my own case, it was guided by a teacher in a classroom setting, hence it is very useful and very interesting.
August 12, 2019
Good companion to Wheelock's. Translating these stories is the best part of the whole Wheelock's learning system.
March 5, 2021
Did I read every story in here? No, but I spent enough time stressing over this damn book that it counts.
November 3, 2021
Essential to test your knowledge of Latin. Works perfect with Wheelock's Latin.
February 22, 2025
10/10 love will read again 😍😍😍
May 4, 2025
3.5/5
enjoyable but would have liked most od these to be longer and more complete in their telling. more rather you receive the cliff-notes summary of each storyline/litterās.
enjoyable but would have liked most od these to be longer and more complete in their telling. more rather you receive the cliff-notes summary of each storyline/litterās.
April 6, 2023
This is not a book of "Latin stories" or in any way of use to self-learners. This is really an exercise book for the specific context of first-year Latin students reinforcing concepts through somewhat paraphrased creations in the language. (That's in the title, but just to be clear!)
As a classroom aid, though, it's satisfactory, especially if students are studying Wheelock's, as it is keyed to the chapters of that volume. One of the challenges with learning first-year Latin is that, of course, most surviving texts from Ancient Rome are too complex. Most people don't write stories that only use five grammatical concepts, for instance, which can be easily plucked out of history for a student in their fifth week of learning the language! These stories help to bulk up this early period of a student's learning, with teacher guidance.
As a classroom aid, though, it's satisfactory, especially if students are studying Wheelock's, as it is keyed to the chapters of that volume. One of the challenges with learning first-year Latin is that, of course, most surviving texts from Ancient Rome are too complex. Most people don't write stories that only use five grammatical concepts, for instance, which can be easily plucked out of history for a student in their fifth week of learning the language! These stories help to bulk up this early period of a student's learning, with teacher guidance.
June 13, 2011
The original stories aren't a bad read. The paraphrases in the second half of the book give a good taste of a variety of authors. Vocabulary lists are extremely generous. Overall a good companion for the beginning Latin student.
February 23, 2012
Awesome! we used it in Latin II, and the stories let you get practice translating Latin, and learn more ancient mythology and history. I'd reccomend it for intermediate Latin students who have most of the grammar rules down and a decent amount of memorized vocabulary.
June 21, 2007
This book is awesome. The 38 stories are all drawn from latin texts or fables, and it's a good companion to Wheelock's textbook.
Read
August 7, 2011Where I first read about the House of Atreus! Very good selection for the beginning Latin student
April 30, 2012
Book for college. It was easy to go through and learn from in a begainning Latin perspective. Overall, not bad.
April 2, 2024
I read this for my Latin I course in the Fall of ‘23 & Latin II course in the Spring of ‘24.
Really helped my understanding with grammar constructs & vocab.
Really helped my understanding with grammar constructs & vocab.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews