The historian and author of a new blockbuster take on Rome joined us live – and answered your questions on her desert island book pick, whether Ted Hughes got Ovid right and if she thinks the Romans civilised ‘savage’ Brits 9.31am BST nacl1on1 asks: My 11-year-old son was absolutely mesmerised by your television series on the romans and decided to teach himself latin (using an old teach yourself book) ... However, the high school to which he will be moving does not teach latin, so how can schoolchildren today go on to university to study the language? ie do universities accept students without any qualifications in latin and do all universities still teach it? Yes all universities accept people who have no Latin to learn the subject at uni. At Cambridge we have a special 4 year course where students learn Latin more or less full time in year one, then start Greek and the main course in year two. It's tough but very stimulating, and you come out with a full classics degree, inc Greek and Latin 9.30am BST More jokes! pavlvs asks: What is your favourite joke from the last surviving joke book? A lot to choose from...one of my favourites is this: A guy goes up to a eunuch who is walking down the street with a girl, "is that your wife?". 'People like me dont have wives', say the eunuch. 'Oh so it's your daughter then' says the guy. Continue reading...
 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |