Why We Read Old Things

Many people talk about relevance in the world of education.  In particular, there is much discussion about choosing reading material that is relevant to the lives of students, and quite often this leads to two false assumptions.  The first is that relevant material must be immediately accessible by students, and the second, which is related to the first, is that it must be in their vernacular and therefore of recent origin.  If these two assumptions were accepted, however, students would not experience anything outside their native language or antedating their own birth by more than a few years.  The exploration of my Latin I students into the world of Roman paleography suggests to the contrary that there is much value in reading that which is old.

Paleography in The Modern Classroom

Paleography is the study of ancient forms of writing, and I have explored this for many years with public and private school Latin students.  This year my students, as they usually do, took a look at ancient writing and ancient writing materials through a website hosted by the University of Michigan (here, here, and here).  After this, they practiced reading and writing Old Roman Cursive before making their own imitation sheets of papyrus and reed pens.  With these they copied their choice from texts that we had read and became Romans for a day.  What was most striking, however, were their reflections on the experience.

Instructional video on making imitation papyrus sheets and reed pens

Fun "infomercial" about using ancient writing materials

What Students Have To Say

As part of a reflective component of this project, the students discussed why they chose the passages they did when using the writing materials they had made.  Whether it was a verse from the Bible or lines of from the Latin poets and philosophers, these texts touched the students in profound ways.  Their words are proof that relevance should not always and automatically be equated with what is colloquial and new.

"Tui animi compotes es ne quid fraudis stuprique ferocia pariat."

"Be master of your soul, lest your untamed spirit bring forth something deceitful and shameful."
Appius Claudius Caecus (355-275 B.C.)

When we first learned this quote I was extremely frustrated with myself, other people, everything.  After hearing this I truly took into consideration how being like this would not help anyone and would only bring shame like the quote said.  The quote helped me change my perspective when I needed it, so that's why I like it.

"Ab infantia sacras litteras nosti, quae te possunt instruere ad salutem, per fidem, quae est in Christo Iesu."

"From the time you were a child you have known the sacred scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:15

I chose this quote because it reminds me of my grandma and my dad and them being very religious and very persistent in making sure me and my other siblings/cousins have a strong faith.

"In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum."

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of people."
John 1:4

The Latin text I used to complete my papyrus was from John 1:4.  I chose this passage because I found it so fascinating that God's view of his life is our life.  It seems almost like he's saying that the point of his life is to give us life.  God is putting us as human beings before his own life.  This is just one example of his love for us.

"Homo sum.  Humani nil alienum puto."

"I am a human being.  I think nothing human alien to me."
Publius Terentius Afer, 195-159 B.C.

I picked this because I like what he says.  I like how he said I am hum but nothing human is alien to me.  I think it is cool that back then not normal stuff was not that weird to people, but now if you do something weird you are like alien to people.

"Maledicus a malefico non distat nisi occasione."

"An evil speaker differs from an evil doer in nothing but opportunity."
Marcus Fabius Quintillianus, 35-100 A.D.

I chose this quote for my papyrus because it was my favorite quote we've had for this class.  I see the results of this quote all the time throughout my day, and in school.  People who talk bad about one another are no better than people who are actually mean through their actions.  Changing the way we hurt people is no different from the action itself.  An evil speaker is no different from someone who actually does evil.

"Et verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis."

"And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
John 1:14

I chose this verse of the week because it was one of the first that we had ever learned in Latin class and this is one of the first things that we ever said in Latin, too.  So that part was pretty cool.  But I also chose this because it shows how God was talking about the word for a while and we were not sure what that word was until Jesus was born and we realized that the word was our salvation to get to heaven one day, and even though God loved His Son, He sent Him down to a cruel world and made Him just like us because He also loved HIs creations.  We were very blessed to have Jesus walk down here among us.

"Ego veni ut vitam habeant, et abundantius habeant."

"I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly."
John 10:10

I sometimes imagine what the world would be like if Adam and Eve never sinned in the Garden of Eden, and honestly I can't imagine it.  When we first went over this verse in class it was almost like God was speaking to me through it and telling me that instead of wondering what I can't have I should be grateful that He sent His Son down to die for us so that one day we all would hopefully make it to heaven and be reunited with Him again.

"Labor omnia vincit."

"Work conquers all."
Publius Vergilius Maro, 70-19 B.C.

I feel I connected to this quote in a way because of my horrible work ethic.  I know that if I get all my assignments done on time, I will have straight A's, but because of my lack of production, I often struggle in this area.  If I could just get my work done on time, I'd be slaying my classes.  This logic also transfers over to my extracurriculars, like band or Tae Kwon Do.  If I just put in the time and effort into learning new techniques, songs, forms, I could become much better at what I do.  Putting in the work to do things would allow me to "conquer" in all aspects of my life.

"Esse quam videri bonus."

"To be good rather than to seem good."
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, 86-35 B.C.

I chose this quote because I was really inspired to be a better person.  I felt that this quote really helped me to start being a better person to my family and friends.  I wanted people to know the real me and know I am a good person.  Some people may think I am a good person because I am Catholic, but I want them to actually know that I am a good person.  I feel that I need to be nicer to people and help them out more when I hear this quote.

"In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum."

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of people."
John 1:4

I chose this quote because it has a personal meaning to me.  The quote talks about how Jesus is the life and he is the light of the people.  Jesus has been the light during some of my darkest and hardest times.  A few years ago I went through a difficult time where I had to have a lot of surgeries in a short period of time.  What was wrong with me was confusing and I had to trust God that he would light the path and show me the way out.  After my last surgery I remember feeling the biggest relief that it might have been over for now.  God showed me I can trust him and have faith that his plan is the true plan.