Latin
At Southfields we teach Latin in year 6. We believe that it has many benefits to understanding the structure of language and supports our teaching in GHASP (Grammar, handwriting and spelling) . We use Minimus Mouse resources please see below for further details and resources to support learning Latin.
What is Minimus Mouse Scheme of Work for Latin
The Minimus books are a series of school textbooks, written by Barbara Bell, illustrated by Dr. Helen Forte, and published by the Cambridge
University Press,designed to help children of primary school age to learn Latin. The books espouse some of the principles of the direct
method of language teaching, and arenamed after the mouse Minimus(Latin for "smallest", and also a pun on mus — Latin for "mouse")
who is known as "The mouse that made Latin cool".There are two books in the series: Minimus: Starting out in Latin and Minimus Secundus.
While the first book is aimed at 7-10 year olds, the second continues the series for children up to 13 years old.The stories presented in each
chapter revolve around a family. The family is based on a real family who lived at Vindolanda,in northern Britain in 100 AD. The books feature
many artifacts from Vindolanda, integrating real objects into fictional plot lines.
Characters in the Scheme of Work
- Vibrissa (Latin for Whiskers), the family cat
- Minimus, a mouse
- Flavius, the father and fort commander of Vindolanda
- Lepidina, the mother
- Flavia, the daughter
- Iulius, the older son
- Rufus, the youngest child of the family
- Corinthus, a Greek slave who is excellent at reading and writing
- Candidus, a British slave who is very good at cooking
- Pandora, a slave girl who is a hairdresser
Click on the link below to go onto the online learning zone for Latin
Why not read these Latin quotes that we still use today:-
1. Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore – Cicero
“I hope that the memory of our friendship will be everlasting.”
2. Vestis virum reddit – Quintilianus
“The clothes make the man.”
3. Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem – Horace
“Remember when life’s path is steep to keep your mind even.”
4. Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur – Unknown
“That man is wise who talks little.”
5. Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora – Unknown
“Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow” or “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”
6. Vires acquirit eundo – Virgil
“It gains strength by going (or as it goes).”
7. Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur – Unknown
“Even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time.”
8. Vitam regit fortuna, non sapientia – Cicero
“Fortune, not wisdom, rules lives.”
9. Alea iacta est – Caesar
“The dice has been cast.”
10. Vitanda est improba siren desidia – Horace
“One musts avoid that wicked temptress, Laziness.”
11. Disiecti membra poetae – Horace
“Limbs of a dismembered poet.”
12. Semper inops quicumque cupit – Claudian
“Whoever desires is always poor.”
13. A fronte praceipitium a tergo lupi – Unknown
“A precipice in front, wolves behind” or “Between a rock and a hard place.”
14. Semper idem – Cicero
“Always the same thing.”
15. Dulce bellum inexpertis – Pindaros
“War is sweet for those who haven’t experienced it.”
16. . Serva me, servabo te – Petronius Arbiter
“Save me and I will save you.”
17. Dum excusare credis, accusas – St. Jerome
“When you believe you are excusing yourself, you are accusing yourself.”
18. Si vis pacem, para bellum – Vegetius
“If you want peace, prepare for the war.”
19. Dum inter homines sumus, colamus humanitatem – Seneca
“As long as we are among humans, let us be humane.”
20. Si vis amari, ama – Seneca
“If you wish to be loved, love.”
21. Dum viviumus, vivamus” – Epicurean Philosophy
“When we live, let us live.”
22. Etiam capillus unus habet umbram – Publilius Syrus
“Even one hair has a shadow.”
23. Timendi causa est nescire – Seneca
“Ignorance is the cause of fear.”
24. Extinctus ambitur idem – Horace
“The same (hated) man will be loved after he’s dead. How quickly we forget.”
25. Transit umbra, lux permanet – Unknown
“Shadow passes, light remains.”
26. Extra ecclesiam nulla salus – highly disputed phrase of the Roman Catholic theology
“Outside the Church, (there is) no salvation.”
27. Ubi concordia, ibi victoria – Publius Syrus
“Where there is unity, there is the victory.”
28. Fabas indulcet fames – Unknown
“Hunger sweetens the beans” or “Hunger makes everything taste good.”
29. Una hirundo non facit ver – Horace
“One Sallow does not make Summer.”
30. Faber est suae quisque fortunae – Appius Claudius Caecus
“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”
31. Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas – Ovid
“Although the power is lacking, the will is commendable.”
32. Fluctuat nec mergitur – Unknown
“It is tossed by the waves but it does not sink.”
33. Tantum religio potuit saudere malorum – Lucretius
“So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds.”
34. Materiam superabat opus – Ovid
“The workmanship was better than the subject matter.”
35. Malum consilium quod mutari non potest – Publilius Syrus
“It’s a bad plan that can’t be changed.”
36. Forsan miseros meliora sequentur – Virgil
“For those in misery, perhaps better things will follow.”
37. Malum quidem nullum esse sine aliquo bono – Pliny The Elder
“There is, to be sure, no evil without something good.”
38. Forest fortuna adiuvat – Terence
“Fortune favors the brave.”
39. Manus manum lavat – Petronius
“The favor for the favor” or “One hand washes the other.”
40. Gladiator in arena consilium capit – Seneca
“The gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena” or essentially “Too late.”
