Introduction to Latin. Second Edition by SUSAN C. SHELMERDINE

Abstract

254 BOOK REVIEWS of civil war in the Bellum Civile. Less convincing, though, is the chapter’s final section, where Dinter quotes at length Mediaeval and Renaissance sources that supplement the abrupt ending of Lucan’s epic. Connections between this section and the rest of the chapter are tenuous at best and, in the absence of any formal conclusion, these last ten pages leave Dinter’s own analysis feeling somewhat “open-ended.” Such disunity sadly characterizes Dinter’s monograph overall; it is difficult to see how the topic of each individual chapter relates to any other, not least because Dinter links his ideas at a metaphorical rather than literal level, which occasionally results in him placing undue weight on the concept of “anatomy.” The book also contains some typographical errors, of which I list the most glaring: “I am” for iam (146); “vigils” for vigiles (71 n. 90); repeated translation in nn. 90 and 91 (71); “in” for “is” (99 n. 56); a translation that exceeds the quotation from Caesar Civ.1.7.1 (135). The presence of such errors is a great pity because, alongside the disjointed argument, they mar a study that displays strong potential and could,ultimately,have had a lotto offer. ERICA BEXLEY The Australian National University, erica.bexley@anu.edu.au * * * Introduction to Latin. Second Edition. By SUSAN C. SHELMERDINE. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company, 2013. Pp. xvi + 376. Paper,$34.95. ISBN 978-1-58510-390-4. The many users of Shelmerdine’s introductory Latin textbook will welcome this new edition. It retains the good qualities of the first and revised editions, and also introduces some improvements. The second edition is again arranged in 32 chapters and can be covered in two 12-week semesters with a class meeting four times per week. In a short preface to the second edition Shelmerdine details the changes she has introduced. It is clear that she has responded to criticism of aspects of her first edition. She has integrated the changes in a sensible way. Thus the passive voice is introduced earlier, as are participles and the subjunctive. These changes will enable students to come to grips with more complex texts earlier and thus provide more reading practice in the last weeks of the course. Such practice is BOOK REVIEWS 255 offered. The last three chapters omit translation-into-Latin exercises and concentrate on reading Latin. More reading practice comes in four “Reading Chapters” where some of the continuous passages have comprehension questions. These chapters recapitulate the work in the preceding chapters and contain exercises involving derivatives as well as Latin phrases and abbreviations still used in English. Overall the approach remains as in the first edition: each chapter contains explanations of morphology and syntax as well as exercises. The exercises are still mostly translation from Latin or from English to Latin, butmanyof the sentences are taken from Latin authors (sources listed on 302–6) and thus students are gradually familiarized with the style of ancient authors and spared the artificial constructions of many introductory Latin textbooks. The number of other exercises where students are to supply endings or to identify agreement, case usage or parts of speech has been increased. The new vocabulary introduced in each chapter is again at the end of the chapter, but is followed by an additional section on derivatives. This aspect of learning Latin was confined to the “Reading” or revision chapters of the earlier edition and will be of use to students in memorizing meanings by linking them to English. Another welcome addition is the increased (from 38 to 48) number of “Readings.” These passages of “real” Latin from Classical authors, (the sources are indicated on pp. 301–2) are initially adapted to suit the level of the student, but later presented with minimal editing. These passages are very valuable in preparing students for the transition to the next level of Latin where they will probably be reading complete works of unadapted Latin. I have been teaching beginners’ Latin to university students for more than forty years and Shelmerdine’s new edition is the best work I have come across for introducing students within one academic year to...