prima dicta inter pares

A blog has to start somewhere. My name is Colin Keiffer and I'm a recent graduate of the University of Michigan's classics department. After spending a couple months working and saving up money, I'm off to traverse Europe and study Latin with Reginald Foster in Rome before starting graduate studies at Vanderbilt. This blog is mainly to update those who want to see how I'm faring halfway across the world.

I've chosen "Hic Vendidit Urbem" as the name of my blog since Lucan ends Book IV of the Pharsalia with it. Curio, the Caesarian who meets his end at the hands of the Numidian king Juba, "sold the city" of Rome when he changes his alliance to side with Julius; since Caesar had paid off his overburdening debts, Curio aided his cause and thus enabled Julius to cross the Rubicon and take Rome for himself. Lucan ends Book IV with the end of Curio's life among his spent troops, foiled by African treachery and Roman foolishness. I've spent the last 9 months translating Book IV with my professor Paolo Asso and hopefully we will have a book coming out in the near future. I hope my time in Rome doesn't end with me selling the city to tyranny, but with a better understanding of Rome and its culture.