My academic training is in Mediterranean archaeology and classical studies. As a child I devoured Greek mythology and Roman history, repeatedly dragging various family members to an exhibition about the Etruscans. I declared a Classic major before my first day of college. I studied abroad in Rome and Athens, and excavated at sites in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. So, how do I fuel my passion for the ancient world at an organization that specializes in early American history, the history of science, and Native American and indigenous cultures and languages? Quite easily, actually. Greek and Roman culture and languages are everywhere at the APS, if you know where to look.
Take for example the letter from the image above written to William Temple Franklin from Augustus de Chabot on May 13, 1778.
It’s in Latin! Augustus wrote to Temple with thanks for keeping him informed about happenings in America since he was surrounded by British sympathizers. Augustus was also attempting to introduce an unnamed acquaintance from Carolina who supported the American rebellion.
Why Latin? One reason may be that Latin was a core element in elite education, which included reading the works of Roman authors like Caesar, Cicero, and Livy. Important natural philosophical works like Sir Isaac Newton’s Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica or Carl Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae were written in Latin. This may have been a way to either overcome a language barrier, or a way for the young aristocrat (he calls himself “Genevoso Adolescenti,” or Young Genevan) to show off his education. However, it was unusual at this time to compose personal letters in Latin. The use of Latin in this case may be more clandestine. Augustus, who was living among British supporters, shared his support for the American cause against the British—a dangerous thing to do. Using Latin might have been a way of avoiding spies who would be able to quickly read something in French, German, or English, but not Latin.
The use of Latin was not the only Classical reference in this letter. Augustus used “Geneva Allobrugum” to identify where he was writing from. By the 18th century this city was called Geneva, as it is still known today. Gevena Allobrugum is the name Julius Caesar gave the settlement that would become Geneva. Geneva Allobrugum was a strategic border town of the Allobroges tribe, positioned at the point where the Rhône River meets Lake Geneva. It allowed them to control trade and communication along the river. The town was captured by the Romans in 121 BCE and the Allogrogians became reluctant allies of the Romans. In Book I of Julius Caesar’s Bellum Gallicum, or Gallic War (I.6-7), Caesar wrote about destroying the bridge at this town to prevent the Helvetii tribe, who were enemies of Rome, from crossing the Rhône.
This is just one of many examples of Greek and Roman culture in the collections of the APS, with more to be found if you just do a little digging.