Latin: A History

Latin is a peculiar language. Not for its linguistics but for its history. It started as a language for a small tribe, became the language of an empire, then became the language for what is arguably the most influential church in human history, and is now considered the language of scholars and scientists. Because of its extensive historical and religious significance, universities and families seek out mottoes in Latin and people seek out Latin tattoos. People are fascinated with a language they've never learned because of its tradition and its timelessness.

All of this started with a tiny little tribe called the Latins which inhabited the area called Old Latium (Latium Vetus), which spread from the Tiber River to the Monte Circeo promontory.

Old Latium

These Latins (Latini in Latin) were supposedly named after their legendary king Latinus. In the Aeneid, Virgil writes that the Trojan Aeneas, who fled from the Trojan War to Italy, landing on the shore of Old Latium. Latinus tried to drive the Trojans out, but was defeated in battle. Latinus was forced to accept Aeneas as an ally, and gave him his daughter, Lavinia, in marriage. Later, Aeneas' descendant, Romulus, would go onto found the city of Rome. At least, that was the mythology of it all. Virgil was taking two Roman founding myths and reconciling them. Whether or not Rome came to be that way is debatable.

Roman Empire After Augustus' Death in 14 AD

The Etruscan people took charge of Italy in the late 7th century BC, but lost control a century later. The Latins and Sabines then took control of Italy and formed the Roman Republic. The Romans were attacked by many enemy nations, including the Gauls. As the Romans took over their nations, they grew stronger and stronger. Julius Caesar gave way to his grand-nephew/adopted son Augustus in 27 BC. Augustus turned the Roman Republic into an empire, and expanded it further.

In 306 AD, Emperor Diocletian gave way to Constantine, the first Christian emperor. The Roman Empire continued steadfast until the western part of the empire fell in the 4th and 5th centuries AD for various reasons. The eastern portion, now known as the Byzantine Empire, fell in 1453. Latin survived even as Rome fell, having now become the language of the Catholic Church. While Germanic languages were on the rise as the Roman Empire fell, Catholic monks studied Latin, and used it as the language of theology. The Catholics made use of Germanic words, as many classical words had fallen into disuse.

The Renaissance followed the Middle Ages, and interest in classical Latin was revived. Latin became a means of expressing scientific and artistic knowledge. It's still used that way today. Despite it being classified as a "dead language," it's also seen as a universal language usable in science. Taxonomic and chemical names stem from Latin to consolidate names for animals and chemicals across all languages.

From a small tribe to a city to an empire to a church to science: Latin is universal.