Public-domain ebook
Language: en5,578 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Children & Young Adult Reading·Mythology, Legends & Folklore
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #33311.
Selections from Viri Romae is a Latin reader compiled in the late eighteenth century by Charles François Lhomond, a Paris professor renowned for teaching younger pupils. The work gathers excerpts from Livy, Eutropius and other ancient historians, then pares down vocabulary and syntax so that beginners can engage with the early legends of Rome without being overwhelmed by grammatical complexity. The opening pages explain the editorial choices, describe the layout of the text, including footnotes, line numbers and maps, and set out a systematic plan for mastering essential words, inflections and sentence order before moving on to translation exercises. The book therefore functions as both a curated anthology of Roman heroic tales and a pedagogical guide that gradually introduces the language’s structure.
The style is straightforward and didactic, reflecting the educational concerns of the 1790s while retaining the narrative vigor of the original sources. Lhomond’s prose is clear, with occasional explanatory asides that illuminate Roman customs and linguistic points. Readers who enjoy a gentle immersion into classical Latin, especially students, teachers, or anyone seeking a historically grounded introduction to Roman history through accessible excerpts, will find this volume both informative and engaging.
The opening · free to read
In the complete form, all page numbers and line breaks have been retained. Words split across line or page breaks may appear on either the first or second line, depending on space. Footnote anchors are shown in [brackets], page numbers in [[double brackets]] on separate lines, and line numbers in {braces} at the end of the line. The printed line numbers use multiples of five; in the e-text, some numbers have been moved up or down when required by line length.
The stripped form gives the bare text, without macrons. Note that selections XXVIII-XXX were edited; see first footnote to XXVIII.
The two large maps can be found in the “images” directory associated with the HTML version of this text, under the names frontis_large.jpg and foldout_large.jpg. Map thumbnails and the other illustrations-- mainly line drawings-- are in the same place.]
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