The motto of the Olympics fittingly placed before a laurel.

Rodin's sculpture, "The Thinker," sitting in the garden of the Rodin museum, seems to ponder Descartes here.

Five selections in Latin from Peter Martyr of Angleria's De Orbe Novo are presented with vocabulary help on the facing page. After each Latin selection, background notes including information from other primary sources (Columbus' own 1493 letter, the abstraction of Columbus' journal by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, and Oviedo's Natural History of the West Indies) are included along with the pertinent Latin selection from Peter Martyr. When Peter Martyr was writing in the fifteenth century, it was agreed upon by scholars and men of literature at the time that the proper Latin to use was that of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Hence Martyr's Latinity is quite classical and, in fact, the simplicity of his literary style resembles that of Julius Caesar.

Conversational Latin is an excellent dual-language resource for exploring ancient and contemporary topics—ranging from the weather to politics—in lively dialogues with authentic Roman expression. Each chapter offers 3 conversations in varying degrees of difficulty supported by topical vocabulary. Latin as a living and vital language is showcased in this indispensable supplement to any standard Latin course of study. Traupman's book provides facing English translation; a comprehensive glossary; and appendices on "Yes and No in Latin," "Colors and Numbers," and "Sayings and Proverbs."

Conversational Latin is an excellent dual-language resource for exploring ancient and contemporary topics—ranging from the weather to politics—in lively dialogues with authentic Roman expression. Each chapter offers 3 conversations in varying degrees of difficulty supported by topical vocabulary. Latin as a living and vital language is showcased in this indispensable supplement to any standard Latin course of study. Traupman's book provides facing English translation; a comprehensive glossary; and appendices on "Yes and No in Latin," "Colors and Numbers," and "Sayings and Proverbs."