The Attic Nights of Aulus Gellius  was designed to follow Latin Alive and Well (L.A.W.),  my introductory text, but any comprehensive introductory text that covers Latin grammar through the most common subjunctive usages will provide an adequate background.  I have chosen Aulus Gellius because his readings are relatively short, entertaining, cover various subjects, and, most importantly, he is not too difficult for a third semester Latin student to translate.

            The third course in any language is always the most difficult for the student as well as the teacher for several reasons.  It requires continual recall of what to the student appears an overwhelming mastery of basic grammatical points that have become vague with time. The material for translation not only seems grammatically incomprehensible, but is often dull and lengthy beyond endurance.  Finally, there is a prodigious amount of time required in looking up new vocabulary before the task of translating can even be begun.

            I have experienced all the above problems first as a student and then as a teacher, and in this reader have sought to resolve them as far as possible.  Every chapter of The Attic Nights begins with a listing of basic grammar covered in L.A.W. that might be helpful to review before beginning the translation at hand.  New grammar and vocabulary, i.e., grammar and vocabulary not contained in L.A.W., is provided in each chapter as it is encountered. At the end of the text is a glossary of the vocabulary covered in L.A.W.  In order to make the text translation more easily comprehensible, I have devised sentences based on the text translation that make the subject and basic outline of the passage familiar before attacking the original text.

            The strengths of this text are:

1)      interesting and entertaining subject matter;

2)      a suggested Grammar Review for each chapter;

3)      presentation of New Grammar for each chapter;

4)      simplified Sentences that precede each translation;

5)      a list of new Vocabulary for each chapter.

            The Attic Nights of Aulus Gellius is in Word format; it is 65 pages in length.

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