Minimus
Encyclopedia
The Minimus books are a series of school textbooks, written by Barbara Bell, illustrated by Dr. Helen Forte, and published by the Cambridge University Press
, designed to help children of primary school age to learn Latin
. The books espouse some of the principles of the direct method
of language teaching, and are named after the mouse Minimus (Latin for "smallest", and also a pun on mus — Latin for "mouse") who is known as "The mouse that made Latin cool". One of Minimus’s rivals is another rodent called Maximus, who is in fact a rat in disguise. There are two books in the series: Minimus: Starting out in Latin and Minimus Secundus. While the first book is aimed at 7-10 year olds, the second continues the series for children up to 13 years old.
The stories presented in each chapter revolve around a family. The family is based on a real family who lived at Vindolanda
, in northern Britain in 100 AD. The books feature many artifacts from Vindolanda, integrating real objects into fictional plot lines.
In 2011, it was reported that 125 000 copies had been sold.
pupils. As a single volume, the material is aimed at an older audience. The setting of the stories is altered to several European locations and there is considerably more formal grammar and exercises, in line with Italian teaching methods.
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...
, designed to help children of primary school age to learn 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...
. The books espouse some of the principles of the direct method
Direct method (education)
The direct method of teaching foreign languages, sometimes called the natural method, refrains from using the learners' native language and uses only the target language. It was established in Germany and France around 1900...
of language teaching, and are named after the mouse Minimus (Latin for "smallest", and also a pun on mus — Latin for "mouse") who is known as "The mouse that made Latin cool". One of Minimus’s rivals is another rodent called Maximus, who is in fact a rat in disguise. There are two books in the series: Minimus: Starting out in Latin and Minimus Secundus. While the first book is aimed at 7-10 year olds, the second continues the series for children up to 13 years old.
The stories presented in each chapter revolve around a family. The family is based on a real family who lived at Vindolanda
Vindolanda
Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth...
, in northern Britain in 100 AD. The books feature many artifacts from Vindolanda, integrating real objects into fictional plot lines.
In 2011, it was reported that 125 000 copies had been sold.
Regular Characters
- Minimus, a mouse
- Vibrissa (Latin for Whiskers), the family cat
- Flavius, the father and fort commander of Vindolanda
- Lepidina, the mother
- Flavia, the daughter
- Iulius, the older son
- Rufus, the youngest child of the family
- Corinthus, a Greek slave who is excellent at reading and writing
- Candidus, a British slave who is very good at cooking
- Pandora, a slave girl who is a hairdresser
Italian Minimus
In 2007, the Minimus books were adapted for ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
pupils. As a single volume, the material is aimed at an older audience. The setting of the stories is altered to several European locations and there is considerably more formal grammar and exercises, in line with Italian teaching methods.