With a background as a history professor, Tracy Lee Simmons is established as a journalist and author. Writing in journals such as the National Review, he has a focus on the Classics and related issues of ethics, morality, and philosophical discourse. Tracy Lee Simmons’ book “Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin” was reviewed in Classical Conversations in 2014.
Noting that she had not been classically educated, the reviewer posits that the work makes a strong case for the continued relevance of such a pedagogical approach. In particular, a functioning knowledge of Latin languages, as well as ancient Greek, has practical use as a training instrument for a well grounded and active intellect.
One passage that particularly resonates describes a dearth of pupils in the ancient world writing original poems. Rather than having a primary aim of expressing themselves, they were in an apprentice stage, in which “they were to know, not to be known.” This way of viewing of classical learning holds value within the contemporary world as well, and brings focus to understanding the English language and the humanistic tradition it embodies, from the inside out.
Noting that she had not been classically educated, the reviewer posits that the work makes a strong case for the continued relevance of such a pedagogical approach. In particular, a functioning knowledge of Latin languages, as well as ancient Greek, has practical use as a training instrument for a well grounded and active intellect.
One passage that particularly resonates describes a dearth of pupils in the ancient world writing original poems. Rather than having a primary aim of expressing themselves, they were in an apprentice stage, in which “they were to know, not to be known.” This way of viewing of classical learning holds value within the contemporary world as well, and brings focus to understanding the English language and the humanistic tradition it embodies, from the inside out.
