text: Garnering wisdom by thoughtful and creative interaction with and reflection upon the ancient classics.
  Latin is the language from which 70% of English and 99% of French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and other Romance (i.e. Latin-based) languages derive their words. In these languages, virtually all words of a scientific, intellectual or technical nature are Latin, making Latin study necessary for learning advanced vocabulary in all these languages. Currently, Latin-based language speakers account for over 1.5 billion of the world’s population. Latin is studied today primarily for reading and translating fluency, making progress in the language rapid, and promoting excellence in expression in one’s own language through the challenge of expressing the Latin meaning exactly in one’s English translation – leading to perfection in English grammar and vocabulary. Latin is the root culture for Europe and the Americas, making cultural fluency an important component of the curriculum too. A proficient Latin reader can learn to read any romance language (i.e. French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, et cetera) in less than a week. Latinists rarely if ever need to consult an English dictionary.
  Latin is one of English’s two classical languages, the other being Ancient Greek. The purpose of learning a classical language, as opposed to a modern one, is primarily to achieve insight in and attain a deeper understanding of one’s own primary language and culture, and to spark new and creative ideas through a productive and active reflection upon the ancient works. The classical languages and works written in them (such as philosophical, scientific, poetic, narrative, political, and otherwise) have exerted a formative and enormous influence on the development of the English speaking world’s language, literature, and ideas, from the first encounter of the Angles and Saxons with the Romans in ancient times, through the founding of Latin schools (such as Oxford and Cambridge et cetera) in English realms, and ongoing through our times, where the influence of the Latin and Greek classics over thought and culture remains fundamental.
  The Classical Civilization course is a study of the civilization and literature of the Ancient Mediterranean world. It allows students to explore the beliefs and achievements of the classical world, which have shaped Western thought and civilization.