A Strange Odyssey

Confessions of a Classicist

A Strange Odyssey. Confessions of a Classicist is a surprising, enjoyable and dynamic book, masterfully written. Under the disguise of an autobiographical narration of firstly a student and later a teacher of classical languages, A Strange Odyssey is an extraordinary road map for anyone who plans to pursue with excellence the study of Latin and Greek.

This book could have been titled How to learn Latin and Greek, and not die in the attempt. By referring to his own experiences and with a great sense of humour, the writer reviews the difficulties and disappointments which students of Latin and Greek have to face while studying classical languages. There will be few Classicists, veterans and young alike, who cannot identify with many of the situations which the author cites, and few readers who will not feel hooked by his passion, love and enthusiasm for Classical Philology.

This is an indispensable book for understanding, in a most entertaining way, the different didactic approaches to teaching Latin and Greek throughout history (the humanistic route, grammar and translation, the natural method, Reading, Ørberg, the communicative approach etc.) and to discover a universe of up-to-date and current possibilities (Modern Greek as a first step towards learning Ancient Greek, the Circuli Latini, the Vivarium Novum Academy, Latin comics etc.) which the author presents to us on this strange pilgrimage of his memories and experiences as a Classicist.

An engaging reading for anyone interested in obtaining a profound knowledge of culture, this is indispensable for all students and teachers of Classical Philology.

The Author

Carlos M. Aguirre a degree in Classical Philology. He has taught at the Cervantes Institute in Athens and was a research fellow at the Institute of Byzantine Studies. He worked as a language assistant in France and, in 2002, obtained a permanent post as a teacher of Classical Greek in the Secondary Education Teachers’ Corps. Since 2015, he has run the educational platform Clásicas desde su hogar. He has also published several books of poetry.

Reviews

“The book is a short narrative diagnosis of problems with traditional “dead” language pedagogy, a compelling demonstration that there is a viable alternative, a sobering description of what is required to develop competence in the “communicative method”, and a whirlwind introduction to some of the resources that are now available. For anyone interested in teaching or learning ancient languages, it is more than worth. Tolle lege!”

David M. Miller, Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism (Full review)

“The author takes us through an autobiographical trip focused on their experience of learning Latin (and Greek)... all through a supremely grammar-translation methodology... How many of us know that too well? endless grammar, morphology, translating painstaking with a dictionary, and then learning set texts well enough to ‘translate’ them without a dictionary. That, for so many of us, describes perfectly our university classics experience.”

Seumas Macdonald, Greek, Hebrew and Latin instructor (Full review)

Reviews in Goodreads and Amazon