Rome

Understanding the nature and beliefs of the civilization of ancient Rome is a crucial building block for understanding the modern world. This is not only because so many modern institutions trace elements of their structure to Roman institutions, but also cultural and behavioral dimensions of modern human beings do (or should) draw on the early Roman models. For the former, I'm talking about law, courts a Senate and assembly of the People, a Republic versus kings, an army drawn from the middle class (in the Republic); for the later I'm referring to honor, duty, integrity, rhetoric, family.

From Roman examples we learn about greatness and honor in real people: Julius and Augustus Caesar for the former; and Cato and Cicero for the latter.

From Rome we also learn about tyranny and depravity: Sulla and Caligula.

Stories one reads learning Latin are very uplifting. The language brings this out with its simple, inflected forms and sparsity of fluff and adjectives. A Latin epigram or proverb is beautifully precise. Of course, few people learn Latin nowadays. I'm re-learning Latin and am enjoying it immensely, but if you didn't have it in high school, I can't recommend that path to learn from Rome.

Instead, I recommend the combination of books and CD courses.

From antiquity: Plutarch, Lives, and Suetonius, Twelve Caesars, Julius Caesar, Gallic Wars (aka Commentaries).

The Teaching Company courses on Rome: Famous Romans, History of Ancient Rome.

And now I can recommend a historical novel as a Book of the Week: The First Man in Rome, by Colleen McCullough. This is a fine book, very well researched. The author builds from a foundations of facts about Rome and its culture, then adds the human side in dialog and thoughts very, very plausibly. I started reading it on Saturday and am enjoying it immensely. Nothing yet contradicts my own understanding of Roman culture and history. The book through its characters is an excellent learning tool for one to better understand Rome and the Romans.

NOTE: The First Man in Rome is a first of a series of seven books which were well received by the public and critics. I plan to read the first two, then perhaps over time more.

MORE: The book is pleasantly written in a fine style and includes a few $10 words; it's definitely not dumbed down. I've found four good $10 words already - three new ones and one old one in the file I had forgotten.

Word of the Day

"Ken" - noun and verb [$10] from The First Man in Rome. Not Barbie's boyfriend !
Ken means (noun) a range of sight or knowledge (it's beyond my ken); (verb) 1. recognize at sight; 2. know [past & participle: kenning; kenned or kent]
Sentence: One's ken expands greatly with more understanding of Rome and the Romans.