The softcover split edition of ECCE ROMANI 1 contains the first 17 chapters. View the Ecce Romani Interactive Textbook

This hardcover edition contains Chapters 1 through 27 of the storyline, plus outstanding support for Word Study, Roman Life, Frontier Life, History, and Mythology. View the Ecce Romani Interactive Textbook

This book contains over fifty passages of Latin from 200 BC to AD 900, each with translation and linguistic commentary. It is not intended as an elementary reader (though suitable for university courses), but as an illustrative history of Latin covering more than a millennium, with almost every century represented. Conventional histories cite constructions out of context, whereas this work gives a sense of the period, genre, stylistic aims and idiosyncrasies of specific passages. 'Informal' texts, particularly if they portray talk, reflect linguistic variety and change better than texts adhering to classicising norms. Some of the texts are recent discoveries or little known. Writing tablets are well represented, as are literary and technical texts down to the early medieval period, when striking changes appear. The commentaries identify innovations, discontinuities and phenomena of long duration. Readers will learn much about the diversity and development of Latin.

The title of this series of Latin books is Ecce Romani, which means "Look! The Romans!" The books in the series will present the Romans to you as you learn the Latin language that they spoke. At first you will meet the members of a Roman family; Latin is the language they use to communicate among themselves. As you continue reading you will meet mythological and historical characters that meant much to the Romans and remain part of our cultural heritage today. You will be introduced to a vast and colorful world of ancient Mediterranean and European civilizations that included peoples who spoke many different languages, and you will meet people of many different cultures and social levels, ranging from slaves to emperors. You will read passages from many ancient Roman writers and thus come into direct communication with the ancient Romans themselves. - Introduction.