Latin learning materials in light of the papyri

Isabella Bonati

doi:10.4102/ids.v53i2.2508

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the ancient materials used in teaching Latin in order to recreate the ancient Latin teaching and learning experience. Particular attention is devoted to the case of Greek speakers learning Latin. To reconstruct this picture, the evidence of the papyri from Egypt plays a fundamental role. Papyri attest to the various phases of Latin instruction for Greek speakers, ranging from an elementary to an advanced level, and they also shed light on the typologies of texts that were used. Among the Latin learning materials, this article focuses on papyrus texts intended for aspiring lawyers and law students as a striking example of the practical advantages of the acquisition of Latin in Roman Egypt. Using this material, we can draw some significant parallels between ancient and present teaching of Latin in the context of legal studies with special emphasis on the case as it is in South Africa at present.

Highlights

The aim of this article is to examine the Latin learning materials, focusing on the case of Egyptian Greek speakers learning Latin
In order to reconstruct the picture of a Latin learning experience by Greeks, the evidence of the papyri makes Egypt a privileged case study
Some of the papyri found in Egypt that are entirely written in Latin could have belonged to Latin native speakers that were living in the province as members of the Roman elite

Summary

Introduction

The aim of this article is to examine the Latin learning materials, focusing on the case of Egyptian Greek speakers learning Latin. Ancient papyri bear direct and concrete witness to the everyday life of the past, and they preserve the texts used by the ancient students to learn Latin. They help to answer questions such as who learned Latin in Egypt, and why and how. 1.The oldest extant document and the only one dating back to the 1st century BC, is BKT IX 150 (MP3 2134.5, Trismegistos [LDAB] 6764), found in Bousiris and preserving a Greek-Latin glossary with grammatical annotations with the Latin transliterated into Greek script. One cannot underestimate the fact that most of the Latin and bilingual papyri preserved (documents along with literary and semi-literary texts) date from the period after Diocletian On the historical reasons why the knowledge of Latin became more widespread, see Gaebel (1969–1970:291–293, 295–296) and Internullo (2011–2012:31–33)

Objectives

Conclusion