Minutes
Thursday 12 January 2012
Minutes will appear here soon.
Thursday 15 December 2011
We had an extraordinary session in the elegant Hall of Middle Temple, at about the usual time of 6:00 but with the special occasion of the performance of the troupe of young lawyers «Revels», of which Cordus is part. Astur and Avítus with their partners, as well as Cordus and his family, and Jácóbus, were there to celebrate Saturnalia.
There was no facilitator. Invited by Cordus, with whom however we could only talk after the performance, Astur and Avítus, with our partners and his family, had a delightful dinner where many things were discussed but most importantly the happy news of Astur's expected son and the sad news of his future departure to Australia this summer. Jácóbus arrived during the performance, after which we also had a chat with him and Cordus himself. Use of Latin was sporadic due to the presence of non speakers.
Thursday 10 November 2011
We met in our usual restaurant Ali-Baba at 6:00. Canicus arrived first, whom Avítus with a new member Francesca found there.
With Canicus as facilitator, we first found out about Francesca and her studies, and then read and re-examined M. Tullius Cicero, De officiis, III. 58-60, the tale of the Syracusan banker Pythius and the Roman knight C. Canius, who bought a villa without remembering the sentence «caveat emptor»!
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Tuesday 27 September 2011
We had an extraordinary session in Truckles of Pied Bull Yard near the British Museum, at about the usual time of 6:00 but at the request of the BBC, who were planning to include a segment about Latin in a future transmission of their programme «The One Show». Avítus, Canicus, Jácóbus, Joccus and Maja were present.
We spent a several hours there, discussing various things as suggested by Halina Kierkuc, who also held an interview with Avitus alone in the end. Finally the programme where Latin was touched upon was «The One Show» of Thursday 20/10/2011, which was broadcast on BBC One at 7:00pm and was available on iPlayer until 7:29pm of Thursday 27/10/2011. Latin was dealt with between minutes 8:03 and 16:06, and the London Latin Circle appeared between minutes 11:59 and 12:30.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Thursday 16 July 2009
In Paternoster Square at 6:30pm Anna, Avítus, Cordus, Evan and Lisa carried out a public recitation, along with Jessica and Graham of the Iris Project. For Evan had wanted to create a Collégium Poetárum. Anna, Avítus and Evan recited. The others listened. Cordus freely gave out flyers to people passing by.
Sunday 12 July 2009
There was a meeting in the bar of the Chamberlain Hotel at 2:00. Cordus and Evan met there Lisa, who was preparing a documentary about living Latin.
Evan had brought some things to do. As there were once again only two Latin-speakers there however, they spoke about the website of the Latin Circle, an up-coming recitation in Paternoster Square, the radio drama «The Archers», currently featuring a Latin-speaking character, and other such things. Then they talked with Lisa in English about living Latin in London, in Britain, and throughout the world, and about her film.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Sunday 14 June 2009
There was a meeting in the bar of the Chamberlain Hotel at 2:00. Present were Cordus and Evan.
With Evan as the leader, they talked about many things: the recent European elections, the organization of meetings and previous meetings, the website, the Iris Classical Festival near Tower Bridge, multiplication in Latin, the Latin of ancient Roman statutes, Evan's up-coming jury-service. About one hour later they set off for home.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Thursday 23 April 2009
We met at the usual time of 6:00 in the pub The Marlborough Arms where we had first met already on 23 March. Cordus was there first. After a few minutes Simon arrived too.
With Cordus as facilitator, we talked about various things, specifically work, our studies at university, and Simon's son who was looking at universities at the time. Cordus showed Simon an unfinished version of the new website he was making for our Latin Circle. After doing all this for an hour (more or less) we went our separate ways.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Monday 23 March 2009
We had a slightly extraordinary session in University College London, at the usual time of 6:00 but in a room that the UCL Language Centre had reserved for us. A little before the meeting Avítus met Astur and Cordus already waiting in the nearby pub The Marlborough Arms, and went with them to the room that had been provided for the purpose. James was already waiting there. Evan too arrived not long after.
With Avítus as facilitator, we spoke first about Latin teaching methods, principal among which are, for fluent reading of classical authors, Hans H. ØRBERG, Lingua Latina per se illustrata (of which an expanded colour edition has recently been published in Italy) and, more suited for modern use, Clément DESESSARD, Lingua Latina sine molestiá as well as Robert MAIER et all., Piper Salve: Cursus vivæ Latinitatis. Then we watched the film La via degli umanisti, which shows very well and in various ways how the Ørberg method mentioned above can be used in schools. Lastly we spoke about Latin groups and summer seminars, which Avítus invited everyone to attend.
Finally at 8:00 we adjourned back to the pub The Marlborough Arms, where, despite Astur's departure, the rest of us enjoyed a very pleasant dinner and further conversation.
Sunday 8 March 2009
There was a meeting in the bar of the Chamberlain Hotel, at 2:00. Present were Anna, Avítus, Cordus, Evan, as well as new member Laura.
With Evan as the leader, in the first part they read and re-examined Johannes Amos Comenius' Jánua linguárum reseráta. In the second part free Latin conversation took place. In the third part they spoke in English.
Monday 23 February 2009
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Astur, Avítus, Cordus, Evan and Simon were there.
With Astur as facilitator, we sang Latin songs, of which the first was the very famous Gaudeámus igitur. We learned about its history. It originates in 1287, though the most widely known version spread in the 18th century. Afterwards we sang other Latin songs, old and new.
Sunday 8 February 2009
There was a meeting in the bar of the Chamberlain Hotel at 2:00. Júnus, Evan, Cordus and Avitus were present.
With Evan as the leader, in the first part they read and re-examined some Latin letters written by British kings of the Tudor dynasty. In the second part free Latin conversation took place. In the third part they spoke in English.
Monday 19 January 2009
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Present were Astur, Avítus, Cordus, Evan, Jeremy, James and Jonathan.
With Jeremy as facilitator, we read and re-examined T. Lucretius Carus' Dé rérum nátúrá, book four, lines 962-1208, in which the poet writes very fully about the mind ("animus" and "anima", see lines 722ff), as well as about dreams (lines 962ff), and about love and Eros (1037ff). We also discussed Epicurean and Stoic philosophy.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Thursday 22 September 2005
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Simon and Jeremy arrived first, whom Avítus met after his usual delay. Cordus was third, having travelled from Oxford.
After such a long summer conversation began with our travels: some had set off to Paris, others to Corsica and Sardinia, others to Rome and Scandinavia. We spoke too about choral music and musical instruments, and about the ARLT Summer School where Avítus had participated as a speaking teacher. Soon and already during dinner the conversation turned to law, which Cordus begins to study this year, and to the difference between barristers (advocátí) and solicitors (prócúrátórés), which Avítus had never understood but which now became clear by the Latin translations provided.
Thursday 2 June 2005
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Jeremy arrived first, whom Avítus found half an hour late. Cordus was the third. No one else could be there.
We had a very pleasant conversation about many things: not only about our travels and other common topics, but also about freedom and its hindrances, about the highest good, about the European Union and its proposed constitution, about cinema and the actor Peter Sellers and his films, about Roman jurisprudence, about the books that some of us are preparing to write, about Latin summer seminars, and finally —as the English say— about cabbages and kings.
After an excellent dinner seasoned with no less conversation we said goodbye.
Thursday 5 May 2005
After many silent months we met again in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Most eager for Latin speech Avítus arrived first, and Lívia not long after. Simon found them talking, and we all sat outside on the patio. Soon Hieremias arrived too.
We spoke about many things: about our past and future travels, for Avítus had just visited Copenhagen and Simon was already preparing for his summer holidays; about Jeremy's love-life; about Lívia's studies; about the state of Latin in Europe; about the number of people who speak Latin; and lastly about the book Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World (HarperCollins), which Simon was reading, written by Nicholas Ostler, director, if we are not wrong, of the Foundation for Endangered Languages, with whom Avítus had lately tried in vain to establish correspondence. After some time we had an excellent and no less chatty dinner indoors — for we had by now got cold.
Simon and Hieremias had had to leave by the time Cordus at last arrived from Oxford at nine. Αt which point, after greeting him, Lívia, his girlfriend, had to go as well. But Avítus remained and the two of them had a conversation for nearly two hours still about politics and many other things.
Thursday 21 October 2004
We had an extraordinary session, in our usual pub The Lamb but at the unusual time of 8:00. For present in London were the eminent Wolfgangus Jenniges, member of the Brussels Latin Circle, and a very eloquent expert in Latin, and Daniel Blanchard, the amiable leader of the Paris Latin Circle and an excellent classical singer who was then appearing at the Barbican Centre in an opera by Rameau and could not come before 10:30. Simon could not come, but our two newest members, Cordus and Lívia, were there.
We talked about many things the memory of which has been crowded out by the very joy of so distinguished a gathering, but we cannot fail to remember the mighty voice of Daniel with which he delighted us after the meeting. We very much hope we can receive our excellent friends among us again.
Thursday 7 October 2004
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Avítus, uncustomarily, arrived without any delay; nonetheless he found Simon already sitting there and waiting already, and started a conversation with him about his son, who was soon to come of age. Jeremy soon arrived too, who told of his holidays and his journey to Greece. At last Cordus, whom we had met at the previous meeting, with his girlfriend Lívia, joined us to everyone's delight.
We talked about our new friends' studies, and about their life in Oxford, where they live in a canal-boat; about Latin pronunciation; and about Latin summer seminars. We shared a pleasant dinner.
Monday 21 June 2004
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. Simon could not come, but two new members joined our gathering, both students at Oxford University, Cordus of history, and Michael of classics.
We talked among other things about living Latin in Oxford University, about past Latin sessions held there, and about establishing a future Latin Circle in that city.
Thursday 26 February 2004
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. We dined and drank. We talked about Mithraism and Old Persian; about Sanskrit, which Hieremias is now learning; about upcoming holiday trips; about Avítus' work; and about our families.
As often happens, a young man sitting near by asked in amazement whether we were speaking Latin. For it later emerged that he had studied classics at Exeter College, Oxford, although he was now involved in Arabic studies. Upon finding this out, our polymath Simon discussed a little with him in Arabic with great skill, in turn to our astonishment.
Finally we talked about the Andria by Terentius, as we had agreed to read the first act of the play at home and then re-examine it again together during our meeting. Which much to our pleasure and profit we did.
Wednesday 26 November 2003
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. We dined and drank. Jeremy told us about his journey to Andalusia, Simon about his son James, aged 12, who began to study Latin this year, Avítus about his works with Txemusque from Madrid so that the «Societás Circulórum Latínórum» may finally start fulfilling its function.
Then we talked a lot about law and its comparative study, about ancient Babylonian (urban), Jewish (rural), and Islamic (nomadic) law. Both taught Avítus a great deal about legal terms and the correspondences between Roman institutions and our own, how Roman societátés were not our companies but partnerships, as they did not have limited liability, this very useful device having been invented much more recently for the creation of the great railway companies; for our companies, whether private limited companies (Ltd), which in Spain are called sociedades limitadas, or public companies (plc), which are called sociedades anónimas, are limited-liability companies.
We also discussed trusts ( fideí commissa), and patents (litteræ patentés), which were once granted by kings.
Wednesday 15 October 2003
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:30. Jeremy could not come, and Simon had to leave early. We therefore talked briefly among other things about Modern Persian.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Wednesday 25 June 2003
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:30. Simon could not come, but we most gladly welcomed Ivan, a member of the Barcelona Latin Circle, who was visiting Avítus for four days. We had a rather more sumptuous than usual and most delightful meal in a near-by restaurant.
Minutes of other meetings do not exist
Wednesday 30 October 2002
We met in our usual pub The Lamb at 6:00. We dined and drank. We talked among other things about the conversation with Valéry GISCARD D'ESTAING, about a book that has been published containing the Latin letters of C.S. LEWIS (LEWIS C.S. & CALABRIA Don Giovanni, The Latin Letters of C.S. Lewis, translated and edited by Martin Moynihan : South Bend, Indiana, St. Augustine Press, 1998), and about setting up a Societas Circulorum Latinorum.
The London Latin Circle
was founded and began to meet
in 1999 or 2000, if we remember rightly,
but minutes of earlier meetings do not exist.
