I took Latin when I was in College. It was three of us geeky English majors sitting with our new firecracker professor in her office learning vocabulary, declinations, conjugations, ablatives, accusatives and more. It wasn't enough to know the word usage was an ablative, it was an ablative of importance, or something else... I still remember those drill sergeant declinations of vocabulary with a fondness.
It was through Latin class that I was introduced to Satyricon. Pertonius's Satyricon - known in some circles as the first narrative novel. We read the story in English and referred back to the Latin (You know one of those little red books). One winter break in Kansas City, I discovered there was a film about the movie - it was by an Italian director I had never heard of. His name was Federico Fellini. Fellini's Satyricon was the name of the movie. This would be my first Fellini film. It's probably because of my fond memories of the series of event that lead me to Satyricon that I love it so. As much my memory and experience as the surrealism and reality that is found in Fellini Films.
Summer was coming and my life was changing again. I planned a trip to Brazil to become fluent in Portuguese. I asked my fellow Latin colleague, Elizabeth Sharpe, if she wanted to live in my house and take care of it while I was gone. (I had planned to only go for the summer... but ended up staying through the following December.) She did. And before I left she gave me a present. I think this has been the best present I have ever received. She painted a flowerpot in red and gold with the words "Primer Iter Paris" on it. She explained to me what that phrase meant. "First among equals." My throat still catches when I think of this story and when I remember her.
Primer Iter Paris does not mean I am any better than any other (we are all equals you see) it means I'm at the front of the line. I'm the one stepping off the airplane. I'm the one hacking through the bush, I'm the one plugging away at the keyboard, I'm the one with thunderlightening energy. It's known in some cultures as a nagual.
I am equal to you, and I will take the lead.
note to self. correct spelling is: Primus Inter Pares
did we decline the noun?
Posted by: heathervescent | January 12, 2008 at 01:53 PM