Group Closing

Dear friends,

I have made the decision to close the Arete Classical Study reading group due to my inability to continue coordinating the readings. There is another classical reading group for home school mom's here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheClassicalReview/

This group has over 360 members and is currently reading Charlotte Bronte's Wuthering Heights. The format is more conversational and the reading is selected for enjoyment moreso than by chronological order.

Wishing you all happy reading,

Carol H.
List Moderator for Arete Classical Studies

Spring Reading

Spring 2008 begins our term study of high church history including the writings of Eusebius, Athanasius, Augustine, and St. Benedict. These writings are important works of the church and are wonderful to read through slowly and study carefully. Please feel free to take your time and read these at your leisure.

Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-339)

Eusebius of Caesarea (c 263 – 339?[1]) (often called Eusebius Pamphili, "Eusebius [the friend] of Pamphilus") became the bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina c 314.[1] He is often referred to as the father of Church history because of his work in recording the history of the early Christian church, especially Chronicle and Ecclesiastical History. An earlier version of church history by Hegesippus, that he referred to, has not survived.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusebius_of_Caesarea

Ecclesiastical History (c. 325)

• HTML (Multi-page, indexed, up to 285KB) at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (Translator unknown)
• Paperback edition of Eusebius : The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine, translated by G.A. Williamson (Penguin USA, 1990, 434 pg).

St. Athanasius (c. 297-373)

Pope Athanasius I of Alexandria (c. 293-May 2, 373) also known as St. Athanasius the Great and St. Athanasius the Apostolic was a theologian, Pope of Alexandria, a Church Father, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century. He is best remembered for his role in the conflict with Arius and Arianism. At the first Council of Nicaea (325), Athanasius argued against Arius and his doctrine that Christ is of a distinct substance from the Father.

Athanasius is revered as a saint by the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. He is traditionally regarded as a great leader of the Church by the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Communion, and most Protestants in general. He is chronologically the first Doctor of the Church as designated by the Roman Catholic Church, and he is counted as one of the four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church. His feast day is May 15 in the Coptic Orthodox Church, January 18 in the Eastern Orthodox Churches and May 2 in Western Christianity.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Athanasius

On the Incarnation (c. 318)

• HTML (Single page, 180 KB) at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (Translated by Cardinal Newman; corr. by Henry Wace)
• HTML (Single page, 191 KB) with introduction by C.S. Lewis, at Phil Johnson's Hall of Church History (Translator unknown)
• Paperback edition (Eastern Orthodox Books, 1981).
• Paperback edition (St. Vladimirs Seminary Pr, 1975).

Note: On previewing this document, the best edition to read is from Phil Johnson's Hall of Church History. It offers a very nice introduction by C.S. Lewis and then breaks down the document into manageable chunks. The CCEL version includes a lot of ancillary writings AND now you must login to be able to download their files. So, let us read the shortened version as I think it will be easier on us all.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), Bishop of Hippo, was a philosopher and theologian. Augustine, a Latin Father and Doctor of the Church, is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. Augustine was radically influenced by Platonism. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war. When Rome fell and the faith of many Christians was shaken, Augustine developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God, distinct from the material City of Man. Augustine's work defined the start of the medieval worldview, an outlook that would later be firmly established by Gregory the Great.

Augustine was born in present day Algeria to a Christian mother, Saint Monica. He was educated in North Africa and resisted his mother's pleas to become Christian. He lived as a pagan intellectual, took a concubine, and became a Manichean. He later converted to Christianity, became a bishop, and opposed heresies, such as the belief that people can deserve salvation by being good (Pelagianism). His works—including The Confessions, which is often called the first Western autobiography—are still read around the world. In addition he believed in Papal supremacy.

In Roman Catholicism and the Anglican Communion, he is a saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinian religious order. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of Reformation teaching on salvation and grace. In the Eastern Orthodox Church he is a saint, and his feast day is celebrated annually on June 15, though a minority are of the opinion that he is a heretic, primarily because of his statements concerning what became known as the filioque clause. Among the Orthodox he is called Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed. "Blessed" here does not mean that he is less than a saint, but is a title bestowed upon him as a sign of respect. The Orthodox do not remember Augustine so much for his theological speculations as for his writings on spirituality.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo

Confessions (c. 401)

• HTML (13 pages, indexed) at New Advent Catholic Supersite (J.G. Pilkington)
• HTML (16 pages, indexed) at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (Translated by Albert C. Outler)
• Adobe Acrobat document (594 KB) at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (Translated by Albert C. Outler)
• Text file (615 KB) at Project Gutenberg (Translated by E.B. Pusey)

For the stout of heart, reading The City of God is quite illuminating.

St. Benedict (c. 480-540)

Saint Benedict of Nursia (born in Nursia, Italy c. 480 - died c. 547) was a founder of Christian monastic communities and a rule giver for monks living in community. His purpose may be gleaned from his Rule, namely that "Christ … may bring us all together to life eternal". The Roman Catholic Church canonized him in 1220.

Benedict founded twelve other communities for monks, the best known of which is his first monastery at Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. There is no evidence that he intended to found also a religious order. The Order of St Benedict is of modern origin and, moreover, not an "order" as commonly understood but merely a confederation of congregations into which the traditionally independent Benedictine abbeys have affiliated themselves for the purpose of representing their mutual interests, without however ceasing any of their autonomy.

Benedict's main achievement was a "Rule" containing precepts for his monks, referred to as the Rule of Saint Benedict. It is heavily influenced by the writings of St John Cassian (ca. 360 – 433, one of the Desert Fathers) and shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. But it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation, reasonableness, and this persuaded most communities founded throughout the Middle Ages, including communities of nuns, to adopt it. As a result the Rule of St Benedict became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason Benedict is often called "the founder of western Christian monasticism".

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Benedict

• HTML (multi-page, indexed) at the Order of St. Benedict (Translated by Leonard Doyle)
• Paperback edition, edited (translated?) by Timothy Fry (Vintage Books, 1998, 112 pg).
• Paperback edition, translated by Anthony C. Meisel and M.L. Dei Mastro (Image Books, 1975).

This will end our readings in church history and begin our study of Medieval literature.

Updated Schedule for December

As usual, life has once again intervened and I have had to let my reading program slide. I am thankful for the dedicated readers we have on our group and how they endeavor to persevere despite my lackadaisical approach to running our list! With the Christmas Holiday's fast approaching, I would like for us to take a well-deserved break in reading and rejoin after the first of the year. In looking over our schedule, I see that we have skipped over Plutarch and are marching right on through Tertullian.

So for those that would like to read over the break, here are some suggested reading links for Tertullian:

Wikipedia article on Tertullian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertullian (good general background)

followed by time spent at>

The Tertullian Project
http://www.tertullian.org/anf/index.htm

The Noddy Guide to Tertullian
http://www.tertullian.org/readfirst.htm

A Popular Modernising Tale
http://www.tertullian.org/chi.htm

Famous Quotes
http://www.tertullian.org/quotes.htm

Who read Tertullian in Antiquity
http://www.tertullian.org/witnesses/witnesses.htm

The Renaissance Rediscovery
http://www.tertullian.org/rediscovery.htm

Selected Works
--------------------

I have lost my link to the Great Books and am quite distressed. This listing gave me a brief rundown of each writers most famous work. It was indeed handy. Since Tertullian wrote many, many short works, I am simply going to suggest you browse through this section here and choose any that are of interest to you:

http://www.tertullian.org/works.htm (read introduction in English) The links are commentary on each work. You will find a listing of English translations of his works here:

http://www.tertullian.org/anf/index.htm

If you decide you would like to read the commentary, please do so. Read as much or as little as you like and after the break, we will discuss anything that touched your heart or stirred your soul.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed Hanukkah!

Early Church History

Fall has finally arrived and school is in session. Arete Classical Studies Program begins it's fall reading schedule on October 1, 2007. Please join us as we read and study the following GREAT BOOKS:

Antiquities of the Jews by Titus Flavius Josephus

Josephus (37 – sometime after 100 CE), who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a 1st-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70. His works give an important insight into first-century Judaism.

Parallel Lives by Plutarch

Mestrius Plutarchus (c. 46 AD - 127 AD), better known in English as Plutarch, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist. Plutarch was born to a prominent family in Chaeronea, Boeotia [Greece], a town about twenty miles east of Delphi. His oeuvre (work of art) consists of the Parallel Lives and the Moralia.

Writings of Tertullian

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, (ca. 155–230) was a church leader and prolific author of Early Christianity. He also was a notable early Christian apologist. Tertullian, a Romanized African, was born, lived and died in Carthage, in what is today Tunisia.

Schedule of Readings

• October 1-31, 2007: Josephus
• November 1-30, 2007: Selected lives of Plutarch
• December 1-20, 2007: Writings of Tertullian along with some philosophical discussion on early Church history. Possibly will require time in January to complete.
  

Biographical Information

• Josephus Biography from Wikipedia
• Background on Antiquities of the Jews from Wikipedia
• Plutarch's Parallel Lives from Wikipedia
  
• Background on Tertullian from Wikipedia

Online Texts

• Antiquities of the Jews (Wesley Center Online)
  
• Plutarch at Internet Classic's Archive
• Plutarch at Project Gutenberg
  
• Writings (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)

Suggested Pacing

All of these writings with the exception of the Lives are short and easy to read. Josephus's work is 20 chapters long with each chapter approximately 3 pages in MS Word. Plutarch's Lives are each around 20-30 pages long. We will be reading select Lives and will read them in Parallel the way Plutarch originally wrote them. Tertullian's writing is approximately 50 chapters with each chapter approximately 2 pages in MS Word.

• Josephus should take us five weeks to complete. Each week plan on reading 4-5 chapters or about 12 to 15 pages.
• Plutarch will take us five weeks to complete. We will look at 4-5 of the most well-known Lives.
• Tertullian will take us five weeks to complete. Plan on reading 10 chapters or about 20 pages each week. We will spend some time looking at the other philosophers of the period, most namely Origen.

Class Discussion

Class discussion is encouraged by not required for participation. Study notes will be provided whenever possible, however, we encourage you to read and think deeply on each work and then give a thoughtful opinion or your impression of each piece. There are no right or wrong anwers so enjoy this study and learn something new from it.

~Enjoy!

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Publius Ovidius Naso (Sulmona, March 20, 43 BC – Tomis, now Constanţa AD 17), a Roman poet known to the English-speaking world as Ovid, wrote on topics of love, abandoned women and mythological transformations. Ranked alongside Virgil and Horace as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature, Ovid was generally considered the greatest master of the elegiac couplet. His poetry, much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, had a decisive influence on European art and literature for centuries.

The Metamorphoses

The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a poem in fifteen books that describes the creation and history of the world in terms according to Greek and Roman points of view. Probably written in 8 BCE, it has remained one of the most popular works of mythology, being the Classical work best known to medieval writers and thus having a great deal of influence on medieval poetry.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphoses_%28poem%29

• Metamorphoses, Book I contains 15 Chapters || read in HTML || Download as PDF

The Poetry of Horace

June 2007 begins our term study of Latin Poetry. We have several wonderful selections scheduled including: The Works of Horace (Odes, Epodes, Satires and Ars Poetica) and Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, (December 8, 65 BC - November 27, 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.

Background and Links to Texts

While in Greece, Horace joined the army of Brutus and fought at Philippi as military tribune. As a result of being on the losing side against Octavian and Mark Antony, Horace's family's property was confiscated.

In 39 B.C., after Augustus granted amnesty, Horace became a secretary in the Roman treasury. In 38, Horace met and became the client of the artists' patron Maecenas, who provided Horace with a villa in the Sabine Hills. Augustus favored Horace, commissioning him to write the Carmen Saeculare for the Secular Games of 17 B.C.

When Horace died at age 59, he left his estate to Augustus and was buried near the tomb of Maecenas.

Source: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/horace/g/Horace.htm

• Biography of Horace at Wikipedia.org
• Life of Horace by Suetonius (from Lives of the Poets)

Notes on Reading Horace

Many scholars prefer John Dryden's translation of Horace and usually we try and read the very best translation to date. However, Dryden's version is not available online. If you have access to it and would like to read it, please feel free to do so. For our online readers, we will be using Christopher Smart's translation (1767) which is available through a variety of free sources.

• Brief background on English Poet, C.M. Smart, from wikipedia.org

Complete Works from Project Gutenberg (Text)

• The Works of Horace by Christopher Smart, A.M. of Pembroke College, Cambridge; includes Odes, Epodes, Satires and the Book of Poetry

Complete Works from Perseus (HTML/Web)

• Works of Horace

Note: While I find the Perseus system awkward to read, the advantage to using their website is that all the footnotes and scholary helps are conveniently located at the bottom of each page.

Complete Works Other Formats

• The Works of Horace by C.M. Smart (PDF)
• The Works of Horace by C.M. Smart (HTML/Web)

Selected Works from Project Gutenberg (Text)

• The Art of Poetry, translated and with notes by George Colman
• The Odes and Carmen Seculare, translated by John Conington
• The Satires, Epistles, and Art of Poetry, translated by John Conington

Study Questions

• Questions on Ars Poetica by Arnie Sanders, Goucher College
• Questions on Odes (scroll to bottom) by Dr. Chuck Platter, The University of Georgia

Roman History

January 2007 begins our term study of Roman History. We have several wonderful books scheduled including: Julius Caesar's Military Commentaries, Livy's History of Rome and Seutonius' biographical account of the Twelve Caesars. We also will read through some Latin poetry and begin a short study on the early Church fathers.

Caesar's Military Histories

Our first book will be Julius Caesar's commentaries, considered to be among the finest source of military history from Antiquity. We will read two books, The Gallic Wars and The Civil Wars.

• Project Gutenberg's text, De Bello Gallica
• Sonshi.com html version'

I have created PDF versions are here in case you want to print them off and bind as a book:

• Gallic Wars
• Civil Wars
• Thomas de Quincey Introduction from De Bello Gallica, 1915

History of Rome by Titus Livius

Our second book will be Livy's History of Rome. Livy wrote several volumes which have been translated into 36 books. These are available for free download through Project Gutenberg. For our reading assignment, we will read Roman History, Books 1-3, by Livy (translated by John Henry Freese, Alfred John Church, and William Jackson Brodribb, 1904). I have also included Books 1-10, considered to be best introduction to Roman History, for those who wish to read a more direct version.

• Roman History, Books 1-3 by Livy (trans. John Henry Freese, Alfred John Church, and William Jackson Brodribb, 1904)
• History of Rome, Book I by Titus Livius at Project Gutenberg
• Paperback edition of Early History of Rome: Books I - V of the History of Rome from Its Foundation, translated by Aubrey De Selincourt (Penguin USA, 1991).
• Paperback edition of The War with Hannibal (book numbers unknown but probably 21-30), translated by Aubrey de Selincourt (Viking Press, 1965).
• Paperback edition of Rome and Italy: Books VI - X of the History of Rome from Its Foundation, translated by Betty Radice (Penguin USA, 1982, 376 pg).
• Paperback edition of Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI - XLV of the History of Rome from Its Foundation, translated by Henry Bettenson (Viking Press, 1976, 699 pg).

A PDF version of this book is available here:

• Roman History trans. by John Henry Freese, Alfred John Church, and William Jackson Brodribb, 1904
• Livy, Book 1, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 2, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 3, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 4, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 5, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 6, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 7, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 8, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 9, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905
• Livy, Book 10, Everyman's Library, trans. by Rev. Cannon Roberts, 1905

A HTML version of this book is available here:

• Livy's Histories, Books 1-10

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars by C. Suetonius Tranquillus

Our third book on Roman History will be Seutonius's biography of the Twelve Casears. This book is available free through Project Gutenberg.

• The Twelve Caesar's (446 pgs)

A PDF version of this book is available here:

• The Lives of the Twelve Caesars and His Lives of the Grammarians and Poets

Or read just separate lives in PDF (each Life is short):

• Augustus
• Julius
• Tiberius
• Caligula
• Claudius

HTML Portions are here:

• Augustus
• Julius
• Tiberius
• Caligula
• Claudius

Stay tuned for more...