Re: Four questions regarding your relationship with Classics

Dear Sr Abrantes, I am Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit, Professor of Comparative
Literature and Classics at Binghamton University (formerly State University
of New York at Binghamton).  You may credit me if you wish.  Here are some
answers to your questions.

1.  I started learning Latin at the age of 10 as a child in Europe.  It was
unimaginatively taught, and my teachers expected their students to suffer
through Latin as an unavoidable evil.  When I came to the USA at the age of
14, I already knew enough Latin grammar to zoom through the secondary
school courses in the subject; but now I enjoyed it!  The textbooks had
colorful pictures in them, and the reading material consisted of coherent
stories, rather than separate sentences made up to illustrate grammatical
points.  When I started college (Bryn Mawr, one of the best, with a
tradition for teaching and studying Latin and Greek) I thought I would
continue with Latin so as to be able to read some of the poetry, especially
the Aeneid, in the original.  My aim was to major in English.  However, the
Latin department was so welcoming, with great scholars who yet liked to
teach undergraduates, that I went on to Greek in my second year; the plan
was still to major in English, but I discovered that English literature has
so strong a connection to classics that I thought I ought to acquire this
foundation.  By my third year it was quite clear that my heart was in the
ancient languages.  And so I went on to an MA and then a PhD in Classics at
Cornell.  I have never regretted it, but eventually my great interest and
love for literature of other traditions has led me to the position I occupy
now.

2.  In a way I discovered a spiritual home.  I hope this does not sound
presumptuous, but it is true.  Greek and Latin literature and philosophy
provide a ground to stand on in relation to just about anything one may
encounter in life.  And yet the positions they offer are of great variety,
so many choices are open to the individual.

3.  Love of Classics and ever increasing understanding of ancient texts
permeate one's life.

4.  Read the Iliad and the Odyssey; read Plato; Lucretius; Marcus Aurelius;
almost anything else.  Werner Jaeger's *Paideia *is still one of the best
modern discussions.



On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 10:14 PM Miguel Abrantes <
[email protected]> wrote:

>  Dear Colleagues,
>
> Sorry about the potential cross post, but I was hoping you could help me
> accomplish a rather unusual idea.
>
> I'm a PhD student from Portugal; the fact I have a degenerative disease,
> together with the fact many of the people who inspired me to study Classics
> have died or retired recently, made me wonder about other people's own
> stories and relationships with Classics.
>
> So, I would like to compile and publish people's answers to a small number
> of questions regarding their personal relationship with Classics. I was
> hoping *you* would be able to share with me your own answers to four
> questions:
>
> "1- What led you to study Classics?
>
> 2- What is the most unexpected thing you learned through your study in
> Classics?
>
> 3- What impact did studying Classics have in your life?
>
> 4- If you could recommend a single book or article to other readers, what
> would it be, and why?
>
> - Would you like to be credited for your answers? If so, under what name?
> [E.g. 'John Doe, Professor at the University of Thule', or simply
> 'Anonymous']"
>
> Your answers would then be published, at least in ebook form, and hopefully
> they'd inspire future students. Is anyone interested in helping with this?
> I would gladly send you a copy of the final PDF file, but I'd need to
> collect at least 10 different answers, or else the appeal of the work would
> seem very limited.
>
> If you can help, please send me your answers in private by the 1st of July
> 2019.
>
> Sincerely,
> Miguel Abrantes
>