For nearly sixty years, Wheelock's Latin has remained the optimus liber of beginning Latin textbooks.
When Professor Frederic M. Wheelock's Latin first appeared in 1956, the reviews extolled its thoroughness, organization, and conciseness; one reviewer predicted that the book "might well become the standard text" for introducing students to elementary Latin. Now, nearly six decades later, that prediction has certainly proved accurate.
This new edition of Wheelock's Latin has all of the features, many of them improved and expanded, that have made it the bestselling single-volume beginning Latin textbook:
- 40 chapters with grammatical explanations and readings drawn from the works of Rome's major prose and verse writers;
- Self-tutorial exercises, each with an answer key, for independent study;
- An extensive English–Latin/Latin–English vocabulary section;
- A rich selection of original Latin readings—unlike other Latin textbooks, which contain primarily made-up texts;
- Etymological aids, maps, and dozens of images illustrating aspects of the classical culture and mythology presented in the chapter readings.
Also included are expanded notes on the literary passages, comments on vocabulary, and translation tips; new comprehension and discussion questions; and new authentic classical Latin readings, including Roman graffiti, in every chapter.
Frederic M. Wheelock (1902-1987) received the A.B., A.M., and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. His long and distinguished teaching career included appointments at Haverford College, Harvard University, the College of the City of New York, Brooklyn College, Cazenovia Junior College (where he served as Dean), the Darrow School for Boys (New Lebanon, NY), the University of Toledo (from which he retired as full Professor in 1968), and a visiting professorship at Florida Presbyterian (now Eckert) College. He published a number of articles and reviews in the fields of textual criticism, palaeography, and the study of Latin; in addition to
Wheelock's Latin (previously titled
Latin: An Introductory Course Based on Ancient Authors), his books include
Latin Literature: A Book of Readings and
Quintilian as Educator (trans. H. E. Butler; introd. and notes by Prof. Wheelock). Professor Wheelock was a member of the American Classical League, the American Philological Association, and the Classical Association of the Atlantic States.
Richard A. LaFleur is Franklin Professor of Classics Emeritus and former Head of Classics at the University of Georgia; he has served as Editor of the Classical Outlook and President of the American Classical League, and is a recipient of the American Philological Association's national award for excellence in the teaching of Classics. Among his numerous books are Scribblers, Scvlptors, and Scribes and the revised editions of Wheelock's Latin, Workbook for Wheelock's Latin, and Wheelock's Latin Reader.
