Cambridge Latin Course
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Latin Course (CLC) is a series of textbook
s published by Cambridge University Press
, used to teach Latin
to secondary school
students. First published in 1970, the series is now in its fifth edition, and has sold over 3.5 million copies. It has reached high status in the UK, being the most successful Latin course in the country and used by 85% of Latin-teaching schools.
, a banker and paterfamilias in Pompeii
from the reign of Nero
to that of Vespasian
. Sometimes the book deviates, to talk about Caecilius's two slaves, Grumio and Clemens, and their frequent humorous mishaps. The book ends when Mount Vesuvius
erupts, and Caecilius is killed in Pompeii. The book also discusses Metella, and her slave Melissa, Metella being Caecillius's wife. However, the book (liber) leaves the reader wondering whether Caecilius' son, Quintus, survived, as indeed he did. Cerberus is Quintus' guard dog, he is the first to be killed by Mt Vesuvius.
near Fishbourne Roman Palace
under Agricola
, where Quintus meets (convenit) Salvius
and King Cogidubnus
. The books starts off by meeting a new family, a Roman aristocrat, Salvius, who is a successful lawyer and senator in Rome. His family includes his wife, Rufilla, and many slaves (servi), some of whom are Britons, others foreign. In the second half of the book, Quintus tells King Cogidubnus about his journey to Alexandria
, where Quintus was reunited with Clemens, and there he met Barbillus. Clemens is now a free man and Quintus buys him his own shop.
), star. Salvius coordinates the downfall of Paris, a famous pantomime actor and Domitia, the emperor's wife, whose affair was exposed.
has successfully conquered Scotland
. We are introduced to various acquaintances of the emperor, including Glabrio, an adviser to the emperor. Glabrio accuses Salvius of the forgery of Cogidubnus' will, while Domitia accuses him of plotting her exile. Quintus is present at Salvius' trial. Salvius is convicted and sentenced.
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s published by Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, used to teach Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
to secondary school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students. First published in 1970, the series is now in its fifth edition, and has sold over 3.5 million copies. It has reached high status in the UK, being the most successful Latin course in the country and used by 85% of Latin-teaching schools.
Book I
The first book tells the adventures of CaeciliusLucius Caecilius Iucundus
Lucius Caecilius Iucundus was a banker who lived in the Roman town of Pompeii around 20 - 62 AD. His house still stands and can be seen in the ruins of the city Pompeii. It was partially destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79...
, a banker and paterfamilias in Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
from the reign of Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
to that of Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
. Sometimes the book deviates, to talk about Caecilius's two slaves, Grumio and Clemens, and their frequent humorous mishaps. The book ends when Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
erupts, and Caecilius is killed in Pompeii. The book also discusses Metella, and her slave Melissa, Metella being Caecillius's wife. However, the book (liber) leaves the reader wondering whether Caecilius' son, Quintus, survived, as indeed he did. Cerberus is Quintus' guard dog, he is the first to be killed by Mt Vesuvius.
Book II
The beginning of the second book is set in Roman BritainRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
near Fishbourne Roman Palace
Fishbourne Roman Palace
Fishbourne Roman Palace is in the village of Fishbourne in West Sussex. The large palace was built in the 1st century AD, around thirty years after the Roman conquest of Britain on the site of a Roman army supply base established at the Claudian invasion in 43 AD. The rectangular palace surrounded...
under Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
, where Quintus meets (convenit) Salvius
Gaius Salvius Liberalis
Gaius Salvius Liberalis may refer to:* Gaius Salvius Liberalis , Roman religious leader & government administrator* Gaius Salvius Liberalis , fictional character...
and King Cogidubnus
Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus
Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus was a 1st century king of the Regnenses or Regni tribe in early Roman Britain.Chichester and the nearby Roman villa at Fishbourne, believed by some to have been Cogidubnus' palace, were probably part of the territory of the Atrebates tribe before the Roman conquest of...
. The books starts off by meeting a new family, a Roman aristocrat, Salvius, who is a successful lawyer and senator in Rome. His family includes his wife, Rufilla, and many slaves (servi), some of whom are Britons, others foreign. In the second half of the book, Quintus tells King Cogidubnus about his journey to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, where Quintus was reunited with Clemens, and there he met Barbillus. Clemens is now a free man and Quintus buys him his own shop.
Book III
The third book picks up in the Roman province of Britain, in the city Bath in particular. Cogidubnus falls ill and goes to the baths at Bath, and Salvius, seeing his chance, hatches a plot with the baths' owner, Lucius Marcius Memor, to kill him. Quintus foils the plan, much to Salvius' dismay. When Cogidubnus eventually dies in captivity, Salvius writes a false will for him.Book IV
In the fourth textbook, the setting moves to Rome, a few years after the events in Britain. Quintus is absent, but Salvius, his ally Haterius, and several other Roman aristocrats, as well as some ordinary citizens (plebsPlebs
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning Roman citizens in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian...
), star. Salvius coordinates the downfall of Paris, a famous pantomime actor and Domitia, the emperor's wife, whose affair was exposed.
Book V
The final book is set in Rome, after AgricolaGnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
has successfully conquered Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. We are introduced to various acquaintances of the emperor, including Glabrio, an adviser to the emperor. Glabrio accuses Salvius of the forgery of Cogidubnus' will, while Domitia accuses him of plotting her exile. Quintus is present at Salvius' trial. Salvius is convicted and sentenced.
Recurring characters
- Lucius Caecilius IucundusLucius Caecilius IucundusLucius Caecilius Iucundus was a banker who lived in the Roman town of Pompeii around 20 - 62 AD. His house still stands and can be seen in the ruins of the city Pompeii. It was partially destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79...
, banker, father of Quintus, usually referred to as Caecilius. - Quintus Caecilius IucundusQuintus Caecilius IucundusQuintus Caecilius Iucundus is the star of the Cambridge Latin Course series of books, set in the Ancient Roman Empire. He was the son of wealthy banker Lucius Caecilius Iucundus and his wife Metella, all of whom were real people and who lived in Pompeii before AD79.In Book One, the reader finds...
, son of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus and Metella. - Metella, Caecilius' wife, Quintus' mother.
- Grumio, their adventurous cook, who is often drunk.
- Poppaea, Grumio's lover, also a slave, appeared to have a short fling with Clemens at one time.
- Lucrio, Poppaea's elderly master
- Hermogones, stole money from Caecilius and was later convicted in court
- Clemens, a loyal, clever slave whom Quintus frees later. He then sets up a glassware shop in AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
- Cerberus, the Iucundus family dog that dies in Pompeii.
- Melissa, a very beautiful slave girl bought by Caecilius. It is sporadically suggested that she has some relationship with Clemens.
- Syphax, a slave trader, presumably from the Middle East.
- Felix, a former slave of Caecilius, saved infant Quintus from a robber
- Marcus, Roman citizenRoman citizenshipCitizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
, brother of Quartus - Quartus, Roman Citizen, brother of Marcus
- Sulla, scribe who finds himself in the middle of a feud between Marcus and Quartus
- Julius, friend of Caecilius
- Marcus Holconius Rufus, Politician & Patron of Pompeii whom Caecilius befriends
- Gaius Salvius Liberalis, a wealthy, devious senator
- Rufilla, Salvius's wife, relative of Quintus
- Bregans, a lazy British slave
- Loquax, slave known for singing
- Anti-Loquax, twin of Loquax, known for dancing
- Volubilis, Egyptian cook, slave of Salvius
- Varica, Salvius' slave manager
- Philus, learned slave of Salvius
- Domitillia, deceptive slavegirl of Rufilla
- Barbillus, a wealthy Alexandrian
- Rufus, Barbillus' son and heir, searched for by Quintus
- Eupor, Rufus's Greek friend
- Tiberius Claudius CogidubnusTiberius Claudius CogidubnusTiberius Claudius Cogidubnus was a 1st century king of the Regnenses or Regni tribe in early Roman Britain.Chichester and the nearby Roman villa at Fishbourne, believed by some to have been Cogidubnus' palace, were probably part of the territory of the Atrebates tribe before the Roman conquest of...
, King of the RegnensesRegnensesThe Regnenses, Regni or Regini were a British Celtic kingdom and later a civitas of Roman Britain. Their capital was Noviomagus Reginorum, known today as Chichester in modern West Sussex....
tribe in Britain, friend of Salvius - Belimicus, a greedy Briton, chief of the CantiaciCantiaciThe Cantiaci or Cantii were a Celtic people living in Britain before the Roman conquest, and gave their name to a civitas of Roman Britain. They lived in the area now called Kent, in south-eastern England...
and rival of Dumnorix - Dumnorix, an honest Briton, chief of the Regnenses and rival of Belimicus
- Lucius Marcius Memor, a lazy, greedy, obese haruspexHaruspexIn Roman and Etruscan religious practice, a haruspex was a man trained to practice a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy or hepatomancy. Haruspicy is the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry...
(soothsayer) - Cephalus, Memor's assistant
- Modestus, a simple, clumsy, Roman soldier stationed in Britain
- Strythio, a friend and fellow soldier of Modestus
- Vilbia, native Briton, admirer of Modestus
- Bulbus, admirer of Vilbia
- Q. Haterius Latronianus, friend and client of Salvius, an architect in Rome
- Euphrosyne, a Greek philosopher
- Paris, a pantomime actor
- Myropnous, a dwarf pipe player, friend of Paris
- DomitianDomitianDomitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, emperor of Rome - DomitiaDomitia LonginaDomitia Longina was an Empress of Rome and wife to the Roman Emperor Domitian. She was the youngest daughter of the general and consul Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo. Domitia divorced her first husband Lucius Aelius Lamia in order to marry Domitian in 71...
, his wife, in an affair with Paris - Epaphroditus, a freedman of the emperor
- Manius Acilius Glabrio, aristocrat
- Gaius Helvidius Lupus, his friend
- MartialMartialMarcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
, a famous poet - Sparsus, senator
- Clemens, a relative of the emperor
- Flavia, his wife
- Polla, their daughter, in love with Helvidius but betrothed to Sparsus
- Titus, their son, made heir to the emperor
- Publius, their other son, also made heir to the emperor