The University of Texas Publications No. 3806: February 8, 1938 THE LATIN LEAFLET Issued by the Department of Classical Languages in conjunction with the Texas Classical Association in the interest of Latin teaching in the high schools of Texas Ernestine F. Leon, Editor W. J. Battle, H. J. Leon, Lourania Miller, Associate Editors Number 32 PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY FOUR TIMES A MONTH AND ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNDER THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912 When Pliny founded a school at Comum, he offered only a portion of the amount needed so that the citizens who paid the rest would be more enthu­siastic about the conduct of the project. Since the Texas Classical Association has had to pay part of the expense of the L eaflet we are pleased to have received more contributions to it from members. We welcome suggestions and contributions. Like Pliny, we even dare to hope that the L eaflet will appeal not only to the home group but to teachers beyond our territory. We suspect that heretofore the payment of dues to the Texas Classical Association was neglected by many members. As we now have a definite need for a larger territory, let us suggest that teachers send a dollar for this year's membership (1937-1938) to Miss Allene Gray, Treasurer, Cle­burne, Texas. TOURNAMENT NoTF: The Texas Latin Tournament contests will be held on Saturday~ April 2. Tournament entertaining centers and chairmen are as follows: Temple ____ ____ ___ __ _ Mrs. Olivia Jones Tyler_______ _Miss Mary Bourne Galveston _______ ___ _________ __________ . ___________ Mrs. I. H. Devine Mineral Wells_ __ __ ___ Miss Laura Wallace Wellington_______________________________________ ______Miss Minnie Atchley North Dallas High School, Dallas _________Mrs. A. J. Clopton Register! The essay division of the contest will have closed on March 1. Registrations for the contest will be accepted until March 20. For further information, address Miss Dora Flack, Technical High School, Dallas. The fee for registration is $3; this entitles the school to participate in the essay contest and the examinations on April 2. THE ANNUAL MEETING The Texas Classical Association held its annual meeting at Houston on November 26, 1937, in connection with the convention of the Texas State Teachers Association. The meeting was attended by about seventy-five per­sons, who heard what was generally pronounced one of the most interesting and varied meetings which our Association has yet had. The general theme of the meeting was a symposium on "The Civilization of Greece and Rome in the Present Day." Dr. Joseph S. Werlin, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Houston, entitling his paper "What Is Greece to Me or I to Greece?" gave a sympathetic discussion of the handicaps encountered by the teacher of the classics in the present-day system of education. This paper has already appeared in the Te xas Outlook for January, 1938. Dr. S. A. Tsanoff, Professor of Philosophy at the Rice Institute, spoke delightfully on "The Moral Ideas of Classical Antiquity." Dr. Henry Barnston, the scholarly Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Houston, eloquently presented a paper on "Our Debt to Greece and Rome." Mr. Robert Eikel, a former Rhodes Scholar and at present one of the most prominent of the younger lawyers in Houston, spoke on "A Lawyer's Debt to Greece and Rome." This paper, which was a gratifying tribute to the importance of classical studies, will probably appear in the next number of the L eaflet. To conclude the program, Mr.•James Chillman, Jr., a former Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and now Director of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and Professor of Architecture in the Rice Institute, spoke in­formally and entertainingly on "The Classics and Modern Architecture." The meeting was followed by a \:vell-attended luncheon at the Lamar Hotel. The excellent meal was accompanied by a musical program and was followed by a e;roup of short, informal talks, with Dr. H. J. Leon, President of the Association, presiding as Toastmaster. Among the speakers were Dr. W. J. Battle and Dr. D. A. Penick of The University of Texas, Professor J. N. Brown of the North Texas State Teachers College, Miss Lourania Miller of Dallas, and the late Dr. Dorothy Paschall of the State College for Women. Miss Cora Pearl Penn of Houston was the chairman of the committee for the luncheon and the other local arrangements. At the luncheon the following officers of the Association were elected for the ensuing year: President, Miss Lourania Mille1· of Dallas; Vice-Presidents, Professor William Longino of Sam Houston State Teachers Colleg·e and Miss Sue Mann of the State Department of Education; Secretary-Treasurel'. Miss Allene Gray of Cleburne. The attendance at this meeting, though larger than usual, would have been larger still were it not that some of our members were at New Orleans for the meeting of the Southern Section of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. DR. DOROTHY PASCHALL The untimely death of Dr. Dorothy Paschall of the State College for Women at Denton has brought the keenest grief to all who had any acquaint­ance with her. Arriving in Texas last fall after a brilliant record at the University of Chicago, from which she had just received her Ph.D. in Classical Philology, she had immediately impressed everyone whom she met with her energy, her freshness of outlook, her youthful enthusiasm. That a career of such promise should have been cut off at its very beginning is most tragic and a sad loss to the teaching of the classics in Texas. To her friends and family we extend our sympathy. SOME NEW BOOKS Swo'l'ds ·in the North, Paul L. Anderson, New York and London: D. Apple­ton-Century Company, 1935, 270 pp., $2.00. No outside reading· list for Caesar background would be complete if it did not include "Swords in the North." Those who have read Paul L. Ander­son's "With the Eagles," "For Freedom and for Gaul," and "A Slave of Catiline" will recognize in this book his usual interesting style. It has for its historical background Caesar's expeditions to Britain. The two-page maps of southern Britain found inside both front and back covers prove very helpful. The main events of the story are true and all the others are possible. Of the forty-five named characters, some are historical and some are fictitious. Several of the latter, notably Rufus, Flava Rufus, Pugnax, and Polla, appeared in "The Slave of Catiline." Gaius Aemilius Durus, the hero, is fictitious but is typically Roman. Non-historical people and incidents are characteristic of the time. One feels that the author succeeds admirably in his wish to aid in a better understanding of "the strongest personality that ever lived" and to secure a greater interest in the "Commentaries." Ethel Masters, Woodrow Wilson High School, Dallas. Augustus, John Buchan, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1937, 379 pp. $4.50. This fine biography of a great man written by one of the rnost intelligent and thoughtful living historians, Lord Tweedsrnuir, the Governor General of Canada, has been read widely and reviewed frequently since its publication. Nevertheless, Augustus is so important a biography that no apology for another comment is necessary. Few teachers have leisure; yet I urge all teachers, especially of history and Latin, to read this book. It will revitalize all the old facts and make you live again in the golden age whose problems in government were so much like ours. A kind and generous Scot from Dundee introduced me to John Buchan years ago, and year by year I have watched him grow in clarity of thought, keenness of intelligence, and that dispassionate appraisal of facts which fa so necessary a part of the equipment of a historian. John Buchan was educated in the classical tradition and his approach to the great figure of Augustus is that of one who understands what Pliny called the hnmensa Romanae pacis ma.feFdas. That phrase, which is on the title page, sets the stage for the whole drama. It was a tremendous task that the young Octavian, harried by ill health, faced after the death of Julius Caesar. Perhaps it was with the help of the immortal gods that the youth was shrewd enough to avoid pitfalls, to win public approval, to unite discordant factions, to face and defeat the dashing Antony. More, doubtless dis innnortalibus ducibus, he builded better than he knew, and for a time at least there was some measure of peace and prosperity in a troubled world. He tried, too, to instill in his people a spirit of Roman fortitude and a reverence for the old gods. Augustus made mis­takes; and John Buchan, honest man, neither minimizes nor overemphasizes them. But the peace of Augustus and the spirit he \Vas able to put into his people, must stand to his everlasting credit. Any biography of Augustus must be a crowded canvas-and what a picture it is! Men were living then whose very names bring back to us the spacious days. Horace and Maecenas and Virgil (a particular favorite of John Buchan's), the Sabine farm, men who go down to the sea in ships and come to Rome with strange tales-all are here. Throug·hout the empire heartsick and war-weary men and women were daring to hope for peace. And over in the Judean hills a little Boy was helping a man in a carpenter shop. This biography is amply documented, and has an excellent index. The publishers have given the book the fine format it deserves. As a foil to this book, why not also have on your shelves a biography of the same name, written from a different viewpoint by G. P. Baker? Marion Murray, North Dallas High School, Dallas. Within the Walls, Agnes Carr Vaughn, New York, The Macmillan Company, 1935, $2.50. In this new background story for fourth year Latin, much is made of the daily life of Trojan women in the long house, or harem of King Priam and his sons, and of their watchful care in keeping the gods and innumerable spirits propitious. Through women's eyes are sometimes seen the combats on the wind-swept plain and the privations of a long beleaguered city. Scamandrius Astyanax, Scammy for short, is an important little figure from the moment that preparations are begun for his coming until he valiantly marches to execution. The author draws a picture of intrigue and treachery within the war-torn city and represents the populace opposed to the war policy of the ruling family, whose reputation has been besmirched by trickery and thievery. Attention is called to the location of Troy near the Dardanelles and its dependence on the winds to maintain its power to collect tolls from many ships passing through the strait. Dardanian Anchises and his son play only minor parts in a story dominated by their kinsmen, the sons of Priam. A Short Story o.f Class-ical Interest. In the Atlantic Monthly for January, 1938, is a story, "Plant Early, Two Feet Apart," about how Miss Pretty planted some seed from Greece called "dragon's teeth" and how an army of young Greeks sprang up in the Connecticut garden before her very eyes. Humorous in implication and situation, it furnshes a delightful hour even to freshmen when read to them. Lavinia Rawlins, Forest Avenue High School, Dallas. CLASSICAL PERIODICALS The Clca~sicul Weekly.-The attention of all teachers of the classics is called to the advisability of subscribing to The Class,icrll W eekly. Under the editorship of Professor Casper J. Kraemer, Jr., of New York University, it has become one of the most serviceable of classical periodicals. Appearing weekly, it offeTs prompt and competently written reviews of books in the entire field of classical studies, including literature, linguistics, history and social studies, archaeology, art, and philosophy. It also has abstracts of articles in the various classical periodicals published throughout the world. It has recently added a department called "In the Classroom," which is particularly helpful to teachers in the high schools. The price of the annual subscription is $2. Anyone wishing to subscribe should write to Professor H. J. Leon, The University of Texas, and he will forward the request to the editor. The bill will be sent later. Other Period'icals.-Besides the periodical mentioned above, there are sev­eral others which are useful to both teachers and students of Latin and Greek. The Class1:cal Journal, appearing monthly ($2 per year), has inter­esting articles, reviews, and other features. It may be ordered through Mrs. Marian C. Butler, Waco High School. The Class·ical Outlook, appearing monthly ($1 per year), is the successor to Latin Notes and may be ordered through Miss Helen Hill, Austin Senior High School. The Classical Bulletin, another monthly ( $1 per year), may be secured by addressing Professor J. A. Kleist, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. This last-mentioned maga­zine, which is especially interesting to the high-school teacher, has an article about the status of Latin in Texas in the March number. FROM THE CLASSICAL JOURNAL Latin Is Useful.-[An editorial by Tom Wallace, editor-in-chief of the Louisville Times, published in the Times .June 1, 1937.] If Henry L. Mencken wrote to a boy in Baton Rouge telling him that Latin is no lono-er useful in any practical sense, and that the same sort of mental exercise that is gotten by studying Latin could be had by studying Russian, he did not make a bright response. It is of some practical value to a Louisiana boy to know what the French name. "B~ton Ro~ge" means. I_t .might, interest him as much to know why the title Mayor, borne by a citizen of Baton Rouge, means what it means. Many people are interested in the exact meanings of words and in the origin of :vords and find practical use in the knowledge of any language related to their own. Latin is not mere mental training. Even a smattering of it is useful in practical ways, for life, to anyone in Europe or America who is, or wishe; to become, fairly well educated. The same statement does not apply to Russian, or to languages, almost innumerable, of the Middle East and the Far East. It is as interesting to people of normal intelligence and normal interests to know the derivation of words as it is for them to know the origin of nations or races. December, 1937, p. 184. A'uoiding Education.-In our December issue we reproduced an editorial by Tom Wallace, editor-in-chief of the Louisville Times, entitled "Latin Is Useful." We wish to add here a second editorial, November 17, entitled "Avoiding Education": According to Professor Edwin B. Place of Northwestern University, a nation-wide movement is reducing high schools to the kindergarten level by removing discipline involving thinking and use of memory, although in the keen competition modern conditions create capacity to dig into problems is needed. He mentions the anti-mathematics and anti-ancient languages tendency. In colleges the anti-Latin, anti-Greek drive has scored heavily and a college education is somewhat less broad, and deep, than it should be. It is bad enough for colleges to become trade schools and professional schools, rather than developers and enrichers of the mind. But if high school education is to become flabby, may colleges hope to develop as practical breadwinners the practically uneducated young people they will turn out with degrees? And-what is more interesting-Mr. Wallace has printed a supply of these editorials to be distributed free of charge to all who wish to write for them to Mr. Jonah W. D. Skiles at 1745 Deer Lane, Louisville, Kentucky. The inquiry should be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope with postage at the rate of one and one-half cents for each lot of forty reprints. February, 1938, p. 318. LATIN INSTITUTE I am very glad I chose to attend the Latin Institute conducted by William and Mary College in the summer of 1937, for I feel that I was adequately repaid in many ways for the three weeks of work. In the courses offered the professors and instructors brought to us the results of the most recent studies of the teaching of Latin in the United States. Virginia Latin teachers are among the leaders in their efforts to adapt Latin teaching to modern theories and are making a concentrated attempt to make Latin an integrated part of the Virginia Core Curriculum as applied to Latin teaching· and in its application in the classroom. In addi­tion to lectures on the Virginia theory, a demonstration Latin class gave us an opportunity to observe a unit in the process of execution. A laboratory period initiated the inexperienced Latin teacher into the mysteries of unit making, our daily exercises in Latin conversation made us realize the possibilities of oral Latin in the classroom. Also there was provided an excellent opportunity for an interchange of ideas and stimulating discus­sions of problems with Latin teachers from leading southern high schools. When the Institute closed, I felt that I had been given the best and latest ideas on Latin teaching from the theoretical side in the lecturPs, from the functional side in the laboratory, and from the practical side in the exchange of opinions with other members of the Institute. My time had been pleasantly and profitably spent. Mary Bourne, Tyler Senior High School. PROSPECTS FOR LATIN TEACHERS ,\ recent repo1-t issued by the Teachers Appointment Committee of The Univusity of Texas reveals that in the last biennium Latin was one of the subjects in which there were not enough candidates available to fill all the calls for teachers which were received. On the other hand, in such subjects as English, German, French, Spanish, and the Social Sciences there were far more candidates than calls for teachers. The fear that there will be no jobs has deterred many prospective teachers from using Latin as either a major or a minor subject in college, with the result that when we receive a call for a Latin teacher in a high school or college, we not infrequently have no available candidate to recommend. Especially frequent are calls for teachers who can handle a combination of Latin with Spanish or English. It is therefore wise for students who are planning to teach in the language field to prepare themselves for such a combination. Under normal conditions, a capable candidate who has had a sufficient number of college courses in Latin, Spanish and advanced English should have no diffi.culty in getting a place. H.J. L. THE CURRICULUM REVISION PROJECT After a long delay the Bulletin on Teaching Latin was at last issued in November by the State Department of Education. The report is far from satisfactory. The first eight pages are taken up with the Outline of Content Aims of the Latin Course of Study, and Sugges­tions for Comprehension, Translation, and Vocabulary. The rest of the Bulletin is made up entirely of Units, primarily for the first year of Latin study. A very inadequate page of Bibliography is appended, without full names of authors, dates of publication, prices, and, in most instances, without the publisher's name. Misprints and errors abound. Since good dictionaries are available it is hard to understand why, for example, lists of derivatives from Latin (pages 42-43) should include such words as monomial, polynomial, bonfire, anecdote, crisis, panic, drama. These errors and many others had, in fact, been detected by some mem­bers of the Committee before the materials were mimeographed, and the corrections, together with additional materials, were presented to those in charge of gettfng out the Bulletin, but it now appears that both the correc­tions and the other materials were ignored. It is hoped that a thorough revision can be made before this Bulletin is allowed to circulate widely as representative of the work done by the Latin teachers of Texas. H.J. L. LATIN IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SUMMER SESSION OF 1938 First Term, June 7-July 18 Second Term, July 18-August 29 STAFF D. A. PENICK, PH.D. (Johns Hopkins), Professor of Classical Languages and Chairman: both terms. H. J. LEON, PH.D. (Harvard), Associate Professor of Classical Languages: first term. VICTOR I. MOORE, M.A. (The University of Texas), Dean of Student Life, Associate Professor of Classical Languages: first term. MRS. MINNIE LEE BARRETT SHEPARD, M.A. (The University of Texas)' In­structor in Classical Languages: second term. EQUIPMENT The University Library is well equipped for the study of Classical Lan­guages. The texts of the classical authors and the best commentaries are of course there, and the Library is strong in works relating to all the phases of Classical Philology. The collection of journals is unusually large. In archaeology and art the Library contains most of the great publications of results of excavation of the more important sites, such as Rome and Pompeii, Athens and Olympia, and there is a rich supply of books illustrating classical architecture, sculpture, painting, and the minor arts. The field of ancient history is admirably covered. Further, properly qualified students are given access to the collections belonging to the staff. The Classical Libral'y and the staff offices are housed on the twenty-seventh floor of the Tower in a series of rooms that are not only well equipped but command superb views of Austin and all the country round about. The Classical Library contains the books most impol'tant for the courses given. Besides books, the University is abundantly supplied with illustrative material such as casts, lantern slides, and models. CONCERNING THE COURSES Of the courses offered in Classical Languages for the Summer of 1938 Latin la and lb, Latin 13a and 13b correspond to Latin 1 and Latin 13 of the Long· Session. Teachers of Latin who feel the need of strengthening their fundamentals will find these courses of great value in the way of review. Latin 68x, 68y, 68z, advanced courses intended for seniors and graduates, cover work not usually offered in the Long Session and should prove especially attractive to teachers who i·ealize that the best way to vivify their teaching is by the advancement of their own scholarship. By doing certain extra work these courses may be counted as Latin 83x, 83y, and 83z by students who already have credit for Latin 68. For additional courses in Latin and for courses in Greek, the student is l'eferred to the Catalogue for the Long Session. NOTES ON DEGREE REQUIREMENTS Candidates for certain degrees are required to present two numbered courses in one foreign language. If the student presents three or four admis­sion units in Latin, this requirement will be satisfied by completing Latin 1 and Latin 13; if he presents two admission units in Latin, by completing Latin B and Latin 1. The six semester hours of mathematics required for the B.A. degree by Plan One may be replaced by Latin 1 or Greek 1 (offered in the Long Ses­sion) but the same course may not also be used to satisfy the foreign language requirement. A student who has in mind to present Latin as his majo1· subject for the B.A. degree by Plan One must fulfill the requirement of the Classical Group; that is, he must present at least twenty-eight semester hours in Latin, at least twelve being in advanced courses. As a minor subject must be presented either (a) at least twelve semester hours of numbered courses in one other foreign language, preferably Greek, or (b) twelve semester hours of advanced courses in English. By selecting Latin as the required foreign language for the B.A. degree one may secure as many course credits as are required for a Latin Major and, in effect, present Latin as a second major along with the major prescribed in another Group. COURSES First Term Staff: Professor Penick (Chairman), Associate Professors Leon and Moore. Luthi lu. Virgil and Ovid.-For those who have credit for three or four units of high-school Latin or for Latin B or its equivalent. The reading will consist of selections from Virgil and Ovid, adapted to the experience of the class. Seven and one-half hours a week. Credit value: three semester hours. Texts: Greenough, Kittredge, and Jenkins, Virgil, or Knapp, Aeneid; Miller, Selections fro-ni Ovid. Instructor: Mr. Moore. Latin 13u. Pliny and Martial.-The prerequisite is Latin 1 or its equiva­ lent. The Letters of Pliny are valuable not only as charming examples of the literary epistle, but as throwing light on the social life of the times. The Epigrams of Martial are perhaps the wittiest writings in Latin literature. Seven and one-half hours a week. Credit value: three semester hours. Texts: Westcott, Pliny's Lettel's; Westcott, One Hnndl'ed and Twenty Epi_grctm.s of Martial. Instructor: Mr. Leon. L cttin 68x. Roman Poetry of the Republic and the Augw~tan Age.-For seniors and graduates who have gone at least through Latin 25 or its equivalent. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PUBLICATIONS The course will trace the development of poetic forms from the crude hymns of the earliest period to the finished technique of the great writers of the Golden Age. While most of the selections will necessarily be taken from the major poets, attention will be given to the less well-known poets and to folk poetry as found in inscriptions. The work will include studies of verse forms, social and literary background, practice in oral reading, and some consideration of the influence of the poets on English literature. The course should be profitable not only to teachers of Latin but also to teachers and students of English literature. Five hours a week. Credit value: two semester hours. Text: Basore and Weber, Latin Poetry, with supplementary materials. Appropriate reference books will be available in the Classical Library. Latin 68y. Suetonius.-For seniors and graduates who have gone at least through Latin 25 or its equivalent. In keeping with the Augustan celebration, the life of Augustus by Suetonius will be read. The style is simple, clear, and interesting. Five hours a week. Credit value: two semester hours. Text: Westcott and Rankin, Suetonius' Julius, A.ugustus. Instructor: Mr. Penick. Note: Latin 68x and 68y may be taken for credit by those who have already received credit for Latin 68, provided the subject matter is not the same. Latin 83x. Rom,a,n Poetry of the Republic and the Augustan Age.-For graduate students. This course is the same as Latin 68x with a special assign­ment, such as a paper or additional reading in Latin. Latin 83y. Suetonius.-The same as Latin 68y with additional work, as described under Latin 83x. Latin 98. Thesis Course for the Master's Degree.-Not a formal course, but conducted by personal conferences. Instructors: Mr. Penick, Mr. Leon. Second Term Staff: Professor Penick (Chairman), Instructor Shepard. Latin 1b. Cicero and Terence.-For those who have credit for three or four units of high-school Latin or for Latin B or its equivalent. Cicero's De Senectute and a comedy of Terence will be read. Seven and one-half hours a week. Credit value: three semester hours. Texts: Rockwood, Cicero's De Senectute; Fairclough and Richardson, Phormio of Terence. Instructor: Mrs. Shepard. Note: Latin lb may be taken before Latin la. Latin 18b. Catullus and Horace.-The prerequisite is Latin 1 or its equiva­lent. The more important lyrics of Catullus and the Odes of Horace will be read and interpreted. Special attention will be paid to oral reading, metrical forms, and influence on later literature. The course should be of special interest to teachers of English because of the great influence which these poets exerted on English literature. Seven and one-half hours a week. Credit value: three semester hours. Texts: Merrill, Catullus; Bennett and Rolfe, Odes and Epodes of Horace (revised edition). Instructor: Mrs. Shepard. Note: Latin 13b may be taken before Latin 13a. Latin 68z. Cicero, De Natura Deorum.-For seniors and graduates. See the note under Latin 68y (First Term). One of Cicero's most delightful philosophical works in which we find "at once our most accessible and most complete original authority on the theology of the ancients." Five hours a week. Credit value: two semester hours. Text: Stickney, Cicero's De Natura Deorum. Instructor: Mr. Penick. Latin 83z. Cicero, De Natura Deorum.-The same as Latin 68z with addi­ tional work, as described under Latin 83x (First Term). Latin 98. Thesis Course for the Master's Degree.-As in the First Term. Instructor: Mr. Penick.