This commentary includes all the selections on the College Board AP (Advanced Placement) syllabus for Vergil’s Aeneid in 63 Lessons. The latest pdf is available for free here, and the paperback is available on Amazon here.

• Book 1: 1-209, 418-440, 494-578
• Book 2: 40-56, 201-249, 268-297, 559-620
• Book 4: 160-218, 259-361, 659-705
• Book 6: 295-332, 384-425, 450-476, 847-899

Together College Caesar and College Vergil cover the entire AP Latin syllabus in 133 daily lessons.

Why choose this series over competing AP textbook series? 

1. Free access to the pdf edition: Teachers can present the pdf in-class or virtually to support instruction and upload the pdf to a class website for student access. Students can access the pdf at home and in class.
2. Lessons divided to promote pacing: Teachers can assign daily lessons to promote good pacing. Since each lesson is two pages long, students know precisely where a new assignment begins and ends. The 63 lessons in Vergil and 70 in Caesar allow teachers to complete the syllabus and still have time for regular testing, breaks, and review before the AP exam.
3. No page flipping: Students have ready access to all non-core vocabulary and grammatical notes for each lesson without turning a page.
4. Translation sheets are arranged by lesson to keep students organized: The text on the downloadable and printable translation sheets is identical in format to the text in each lesson, so students can take notes, stay organized, and never lose their place as their eyes between the commentary and translation sheets.
5. Thin and portable: Students can fit each volume in the pocket of a binder.
6. 7 x 10 inch size: Students can keep volumes open flat on desk as they work.
7. Inexpensive: College Caesar and College Vergil cost $9.95 each.

J. Shaw’s commentary is now available on Amazon here (for 13.95 USD), and the latest pdf version is available as a free download here on his website.

J. Shaw’s commentary on St. Augustine’s Confessions is also available on Amazon here (for 9.95 USD), and the latest pdf version is available as a free download here on his website. 

Finally, a very early beta edition for 10 Letters of Seneca is available on this website.

J, S. has just published  a Pharr-formatted commentary on Ars Amatoria Book 1, a didactic poem that instructs readers on how to pick up members of the opposite sex. The opening lines are known to be a bit challenging, but if you read ahead just a little, you will be rewarded with a guided tour of the best places to find love in Rome.

If you have enjoyed reading Ovid in the past but never considered Ars Amatoria, it is certainly a great summer read. The paperback is available on Amazon here, and a free pdf of the commentary is available on her website here.

Teachers have contacted me and offered a number of ways that they use the pdf to enhance instruction. Below are a few tips worth passing along:

(1) Enlarge the pdf on your desktop and connect the computer to a projector to create a quick and easy presentation.

(2) Enlarge the pdf on the desktop and take screenshot images of the selected text (Mac: shift-command-4, Windows: Snipping tool) to insert in presentations, quizzes, and tests. (Enlarging the pdf improves the image resolution.) This is a very easy way to maintain formatting between the book, presentations, and tests.

(3) Copy and paste the Greek or Latin text to insert in translation quizzes and tests.

(4) Use the search function in the pdf to find relevant grammar constructions throughout the commentary: e.g. search “subj” to find all labeled subjunctive constructions and “dat” to find labeled dative constructions.

(5) If the students have mastered the core vocabulary, copy and paste selected dictionary entries from the corresponding vocabulary sections (e.g. word occurring 3-8 times) as you read to create vocabulary lists for students to review and memorize.

(6) In a secondary school setting, post the pdf (or a link to the pdf) on your class website and ask that students use the paperback in class and pdf at home or vice versa and not carry the book in their book bags. This is an easy way to discourage daily wear-and-tear on your books and yet ensure that students always have access to the commentary.

(7) If you wish to add selected vocabulary to Quizlet or Anki to make flashcards, Quizlet and other programs allow you to copy and paste lists of vocabulary and then ask what punctuation you wish to use to divide up the word from the definition. Choose “:” and within seconds you will convert the vocabulary list copied from the pdf into a functional set of flashcards. Then, simply copy the link to the flashcard set and send it to your students.

If you have any other suggestions to add to this list, please let me know.