Ancient Languages and Books

While I doing some research about on-line Masters Degrees in Classics and Ancient History, I discovered the University of Trinity Saint David, in Wales. They offer some interesting, and more important for the UK, affordable programmes. I was very impressed with the rapid response I received to my queries about courses and fee structures. Unfortunately, it has become very clear that I would have to study Latin or Greek if I wished to pursue this further. I did an introductory course in Latin, in the last century - as I like to call it (1988), but remember almost nothing. Except perhaps for Rosa, Rosam, Rostatis; and that the name of the textbook was Wheelock and it had a red cover.  By the end of the year cover had fallen been ripped-off. From over-use and not my violent outbursts at getting my declensions wrong again! Strangely enough this book is not in my library anymore. I supposed somebody borrowed it twenty years ago and failed to return it. This is an absolute pet hate of mine, people who run off with books and do not return them. I few years ago I did get “the Dummies Guide to Latin” but did not make great progress.

Catullus
Well I have decided that I need to learn some Ancient Greek. I have ordered a book from the UK, even though I live in Wiesbaden, Germany. It is actually cheaper to order a book from AMAZON in the UK than the Germany version. Even with postage charges the cost of ordering from the UK is often less. I assume it is because there are more sellers of English books in the UK than in Germany. And of course in the UK we do not pay VAT – Value Added Tax - on books while we certainly do pay tax on books in Germany. Not just English ones, but all books. That is assuming that you can get the books you need. I bought most of my ancient history text books this way a few years back when I Iived in Nuremberg. I know that we should be going into our local books shops and supporting them rather buying books from amazon. Given Amazon’s rather strange attitude to paying tax in the countries that they actually sell their books in. When I lived in the UK, I saw firsthand how independent books sellers struggled to survive. The Sussex Bookseller group closed down in 2011, and put lots of good book people out of work. But here in Wiesbaden, my local bookshops do not have the books that I am looking for, so I have an excuse. The next post will have more pictures and less text.