A Place of Brightness

Adventures in Sleeping

2013-04-04T13:41:00.000-04:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Dreams are funny things. Someone declares, "You all have to hear about this dream I had last night!" And then everyone listens in rapt attention as the person describes an experience that they themselves didn't really have. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream The dream is

Catullus 70: Jupiter? Really Lesbia?

2013-03-21T19:36:00.000-04:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. While working through this little poem with a Latin class today, I was struck by the thought that Lesbia (Clodia?) was probably playing Catullus all along: Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle My woman says that she prefers to be married to no one quam mihi, non si se

Get Your Conclave Latin Right Here!

2013-03-12T21:08:00.000-04:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Latinists like myself are in heaven. I heard NPR this morning teach the Latin word murmuratio, a murmured conversation (the only communication allowed in the conclave to prevent electioneering). So here are the Latin phrases I have seen in media and which we can expect to see in

You Know You're Paleo If...

2013-03-09T20:32:00.002-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. You know you're Paleo if you have a collection of 29 surplus wishbones (and you break them for wishes regularly): These birds were so delicious...

I am a Latin Lover - Amo, Amas, Amat - hic, haec, hoc

2013-03-09T18:05:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Every student of Latin memorizes these important points. Amo, amas, amat. Hic, haec, hoc. Veni, Vidi, Vici. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. I am a Latin Lover Tshirts by keithmassey Browse other Latin T-Shirts

No Age is Closed to Great Geniuses - Nullum Saeculum Magnis Ingeniis Clausum Est

2013-03-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Seneca. Nullum Saeculum Magnis Ingeniis Clausum Est - No Age is Closed to Great Geniuses. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Nullum saeculum... tshirt by keithmassey Design custom shirts at Zazzle

There was never a great genius without a mixture of madness - Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit

2013-03-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Seneca the Younger. Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit - There was never a great genius without a mixture of madness. So many of our great artists and thinkers have proven this point! I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products

Knowledge is Power - Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est

2013-03-09T17:53:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Francis Bacon. Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est - Knowledge (Itself) is Power. Truer words were never spoken. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Ipsa scientia... shirt by keithmassey Make your own t shirts

Fortune Favors the Brave - Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat

2013-03-09T17:47:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from the playwright Terence. Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat - Fortune Favors the Brave. Indeed, we make our own destiny when we take hold of our lives. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Fortune Favors the Brave

The Die is Cast - Alea Iacta Est

2013-03-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Gaius Julius Caesar. Alea Iacta Est - The Die is Cast. He's crossed the Rubicon. The rest is history. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Alea iacta est... tshirts by keithmassey Check out more

An Incurable Passion for Writing - Insanabile Cacoethes Scribendi

2013-03-09T17:34:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote on writing from Juvenal. Insanabile Cacoethes Scribendi - An Incurable Passion for Writing. This really does capture it for those of us who can't not write! I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Incurable

While I breathe, I hope - Dum Spiro, Spero

2013-03-09T17:28:00.002-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote attributed to Cicero. Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe, I hope. This is the essence of optimism. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Dum spiro spero tshirts by keithmassey Look at Latin T-Shirts online

Art is Long, Life is Short - Ars Longa, Vita Brevis

2013-03-09T17:24:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Seneca the Younger. Ars Longa, Vita Brevis. Art is Long, Life is Short. His words are true after 2000 years. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Ars Longa, Vita Brevis... T-shirt by keithmassey

Amor Vincit Omnia - Love Conquers Everything

2013-03-09T17:13:00.002-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A quote from Vergil's Eclogues. Love conquers everything. Amor Vincit Omnia. I love his optimism. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Amor Vincit Omnia... T Shirts by keithmassey Create your own t-shirt at

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Veni, Vidi, Vici!

2013-03-09T17:08:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. A classic quote from Gaius Julius Caesar. Veni, Vidi, Vici! I came, I saw, I conquered! So alliterative. So arrogant! I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! T-Shirt! by keithmassey See other

Let us Live, My Lesbia, and Let us Love. Vivamus mea Lesbia atque Amemus

2013-03-09T17:03:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. The famous first line of Catullus 5. Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque Amemus. Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love. I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. Vivamus atque amemus tees by keithmassey Create one-of-a-kind photo tee

One Very Satisfied Amazon Prime Member

2013-02-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. I became an Amazon Prime Member some months back. I started my free trial because I wanted to rewatch the Star Trek Next Generation episode The Inner Light. The Mom and Pop DVD rental store near us just went out of business, so we needed a way to watch movies. My wife and I

Amor Vincit Omnia!

2013-02-21T18:15:00.001-05:00

Amor Vincit Omnia: an Andrew Valquist Adventure If you've ever wondered what it's like inside a Top Secret place like the NSA, the author describes it from experience. He served after 9/11 for four years as an Arabic linguist there. He earned the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal for his service in Iraq in 2004. Ordinarily $2.99 on Kindle, this novel tells the story of Dr.

The Sator Square, Palindromes, and Fun with Words...

2013-02-17T18:02:00.004-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Palindromes are statements that can be read the same in each direction. English examples are: Do Geese see God? Never odd or even. They can, of course, theoretically exist in any language. There is a famous known Palindrome from ancient Rome called the Sator Square. It's attested

A Great Week for Latin!

2013-02-14T20:14:00.002-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. The world was rocked by the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI this week. After the dust settled, we Latinists were delighted by the sudden attention he gave the Latin language by delivering that resignation in Latin itself. Now, in an earlier post, I made it very clear

A Typo in the Papal Resignation?

2013-02-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Important Update! The typo has been corrected on the official Vatican site: Please also see my new post, in which I prove that the Pope himself did not pronounce the typo that was, for a time, posted on the Vatican Website. Below is my original post from the morning of the

Learn Medieval Latin!

2013-02-02T19:39:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. Although I teach Latin in a public high school, where the expectation is that the students learn the Classical Register towards the goal of eventually reading Vergil, I am a Medievalist at heart. I plan to eventually end my career as a Latin teacher with at least one year

The Harbaugh Brothers: Living the Fratricidal Archetype!

2013-01-22T20:03:00.000-05:00

What a story! Two brothers are facing off against each other as head coaches in that game of games known as the Superbowl. Not surprisingly, they're calling it the "Harbowl." James (Jim) Harbaugh, coach of the San Francisco 49'ers. John Harbaugh, coach of the Baltimore Ravens. But the reason this is so fascinating to us is fraternal conflict is a deeply ingrained archetype. Ancient

To Synch or Not to Synch

2013-01-22T19:34:00.000-05:00

The news that Beyonce (Beyoncé Knowles) apparently lip synched her performance of the National Anthem at the President Obama's Second Inauguration certainly comes as no surprise. I mean, you wouldn't want the story the following day to be how you sang the thing awfully. So Beyonce pre-records and pretends to sing. Now, the detail of pretending to take out the ear audio feedback in retrospect is

Commodus: Yet Another Depraved Emperor of Rome

2013-01-21T19:23:00.001-05:00

By Keith Massey, PhD. Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing. I show the movie Gladiator to my Latin I Class when we reach a chapter in their book about gladiators. And in this movie Commodus is brilliantly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. This gifted actor creates a deeply flawed and complex character. But it turns out that the real Commodus