Latina Laeta A1.1 — Filius senatoris
A Gentle Beginning in Living Latin (Latin–English Edition)

Begin Latin the Roman way — by reading, not memorizing.

Latina Laeta A1.1 is the first step in a twenty-volume journey into the language and daily life of early Imperial Rome. Written in clear, continuous Classical Latin and paired with an English translation, this volume lets absolute beginners start reading real Latin from the very first page.

You enter a Roman household at dawn. A rooster crows. A boy refuses to get out of bed. A servant spills water. A mouse appears where it shouldn't. Small problems turn into small adventures, and the day never quite goes according to plan. Through short, vivid scenes, Latin comes alive as a language of people, movement, humor, and everyday life.

The Latin is fully Classical in style, but carefully controlled to a true A1 level: short sentences, familiar vocabulary, frequent repetition, and concrete situations that make meaning clear without explanation. The English translation runs alongside the Latin, sentence by sentence, allowing learners to read confidently without stopping to decode grammar.

What makes this book different:
• Complete Latin–English bilingual text (interlinear style)
• Written for absolute beginners — no prior Latin required
• Continuous story, not disconnected exercises
• Real Roman life: family, servants, meals, mishaps
• Classical Latin modeled on authentic ancient prose
• Designed for natural acquisition through reading

Who this book is for:
• Self-learners starting Latin from zero
• Students who want to read before studying grammar
• Teachers seeking readable classroom Latin
• Anyone curious about how Romans actually lived

The larger journey:
This volume is the first of five books at A1 level. As the series continues, the same characters return, the world expands, and the Latin grows step by step. A2 introduces study, travel, and wider society; B1 and B2 lead into full Silver-Age prose. Beyond that, the story continues in the Gens et Gloria novels set under Trajan.

Latina Laeta A1.1 — where Latin stops being a school subject and starts becoming a language.
Read gently. Understand naturally.
Step into the living world of Rome.

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