I Claudius to return, it seems.

Mary Beard sent this brief email:

New blog gives notice of Romans on Television programme and BBC re-run of I Claudius

The item isn't yet up on the Times website, but you might like to keep an eye open for it.

In Our Time on Aristophanes – download it now

Until Wednesday you can download Malvyn Bragg's half hour programme on Aristophanes and Menander from the BBC website.

The experts are Paul Cartledge, Professor of Greek History at the University of Cambridge, Edith Hall, Professor of Drama and Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Nick Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I don't know with absolute certainty whether such downloads may legally be used in class, but I doubt if the BBC would be too worried by a sixth form Class Civ group listening to a programme on your laptop. It is a non-commercial use, and I don't think use in a classroom equals making available to the public.

For reference, these are the terms of use:

Terms of Use

As part of a Trial the BBC grants you a 7-day, non-exclusive licence to download this audio.

You may not copy, reproduce, edit, adapt, alter, republish, post, broadcast, transmit, make available to the public, or otherwise use this audio in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use.

You may not download, or use this file for the purpose of promoting, advertising, endorsing or implying a connection with you (or any third party) and the BBC, its agents or employees.

Here is that Daily Mail article – thanks, Kris

Kristian Waite kindly sent me this article by snail mail, when I couldn't locate it on the web. I post it as a photo, as large as I can (as large as PhotoBucket will store for nothing!) so that you can print it out and put it on your classroom wall.

  

"Be careful, friends, or Latin will kill you."

From dotCommonweal, a blog by the editors of Commonweal, a Catholic magazine. I have corrected the typo, which led to an interesting series of replies on the blog.

“Latin Will Kill You”
July 14, 2006, 6:19 am
Posted by Cathleen Kaveny

In his summer class, Vatican Latinist Reginald Foster not only teaches the language six hours a day, six days a week, to those able and willing to learn, he also assigns a weekly “Ludus Aestivus” — otherwise known as a homework sheet.

Once we had to translate this inscription from Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon:

“ILLE HIC EST RAPHAEL TIMUIT QUO SOSPITE VINCI
RERUM MAGNA PARENS ET MORIENTE MORI”

The first time I saw this, I thought it was excruciatingly hard. Then, when I realized the structure, I thought it was completely obvious, and that I was stupid for taking so long.

I think this is part of what Reggie is getting at when he says repeatedly to his class, “Be careful, friends, or Latin will kill you.”

A gold star to the person who translates this correctly–and literally!