List of Active-Language Classicists

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Wikipedia

This page lists classicists who have devoted significant professional effort into speaking Classical languages in an active way, for conversation, teaching, and other spontaneous verbal communication.[1][2][3][4][5]

"Latin Spoken Here" in Latin (Hic Dicitur Lingua Latina) on a pin-back button

Many of these individuals have careers in academia, but not all of them. They work as scholars, instructors, organizers, authors, or academic researchers.

The listed individuals are distinctive because the majority of Classics scholars in modern times devote little effort to speaking Classical languages. In fact they frequently discourage this activity as mostly a waste of time.[6][7][8] The individuals listed here are notable exceptions.

For the purpose of this list, we use the same definition of "Classical languages" as is used at Classics departments major European and North American universities, and indeed the same definition used at the Wikipedia Classics page: Latin and Ancient Greek.

However, specialists in other classical languages can also be listed here, provided that their professional activity is the same: The active use of one or several ancient and probably dead classical languages as spoken, conversational languages.

Individuals

Name Lifespan Professional description Institutional affiliation(s) Location(s) Language(s)
Arcadius Avellanus1851-1935scholar, teacher, editor, organizerProfessor at St. John's College in BrooklynHungary; U.S.Latin
John Stuart Blackie1809-1895classical scholar and man of lettersProf. of Greek at Edinburgh U; Prof. of Humanities at U. of AberdeenScotlandAncient Greek, Latin
Jean Capelle (politician) [fr]1909-1983politicianFirst international congress for living Latin (Avignon, 1956); French Ministry of National EducationFranceLatin
Carlo Egger [it]1914-2003Catholic abbott; classicistLatinitas Foundation; Vatican Secretariat of StateSouth Tyrol, Italy; Rome, ItalyLatin
Reginald Foster1939-2020Catholic priest; renowned teacher of spoken LatinVatican Secretariat of State; Gregorian UniversityRome, Italy; Wisconsin, U.S.Latin
Alexis Hellmer1984-classicistFounder of Studium Angelopolitanum; Rusticatio Virginiana; Conventiculum BostonienseMexicoLatin
Stephen Hillclassicist, teacherWyoming Catholic College;[9] Polis Institute[9]U.S.Ancient Greek, Latin
Eduard Johnson1840-1903classicist, teacher, author, journalist and local historianPlauen Gymnasium; Chemnitz Gymnasium; Vogtländische Anzeiger (local German newspaper)Saxony, GermanyAncient Greek, Latin
Leni Ribeiro LeiteclassicistFederal University of Espírito Santo;[4] U. of Kentucky;[10] Conventiculum LexingtonienseKentucky, U.S.; BrazilLatin
Tatiana MarvinateacherPolis Institute[11][12]Jerusalem, IsraelAncient Greek
Milena Minkovaclassicist, authorPontifical Gregorian University;[4] Pontifical Salesian University;[4] U. of Kentucky;[4] Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF);[13] Conventiculum Lexingtoniense[5]Kentucky, U.S.; Rome, ItalyLatin
Luigi Miraglia1965-teacher, classicistFounder of the Accademia Vivarium Novum; Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF);[13] Pontifical Academy for LatinRome, ItalyLatin
Luke Amadeus Ranieriteacher, author, prolific YouTuber[14]Ancient Language Institute;[15] Paideia Institute;[16][17] Polis Institute[18]U.S.Latin, Ancient Greek
Christophe Ricoclassicist, author, deanDean of the Polis Institute;[19][20] University of Strasbourg[19]Jerusalem, IsraelAncient Greek, Latin (and others)
W. H. D. Rouse1863-1950teacher, translator, author, headmasterCambridge University; Association for the Reform of Latin Teaching; Loeb Classical Library editor; Rugby School; The Perse School (headmaster)[21]U.K.Latin
Wilfried Stroh [de]1939-2025philologist, academicU. of Munich; Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF)[13]Munich, GermanyLatin
Jenny Teichmannteacher, organizer, YouTuber[22]Argos Didaskei;[23] Paideia Institute;[24] Τρίοδος Trivium[22]GermanyAncient Greek
John Traupman1923-2019classicist, authorSaint Joseph's UniversityPhiladelphia, U.S.Latin
Terence Tunberg1950-classicist, authorU. of Kentucky; Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF);[13] Conventiculum Lexingtoniense[5]Kentucky, U.S.Latin
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs1825-1895lawyer, jurist, journalist, writer, early gay rights activistdistrict court of Hildesheim; Accademia Pontaniana (Naples, Italy)Germany; ItalyLatin

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Lanzillotta, Lee (2025). "Pro Latinitate Activa: a student's perspective on Active Latin". Journal of Classics Teaching. 26 (51): 101–102. doi:10.1017/S205863102400103X.
  2. ↑ "Ars longa, vita brevis: Active Latin in the Classroom". antigonejournal.org. October 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "Lessons from modern languages can reboot Latin learning". University of Cambridge Research. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Kuhner, John Byron (2018). "Global Latinists". The New Criterion. 36 (6): 4. Retrieved 2025-12-09. Note: See "External Links" section for link to full text
  5. 1 2 3 Chapman, Heather (2014-07-24). "'Dead' Language Resurrected at UK". University of Kentucky Now University News. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  6. ↑ Ball, Robert; Ellsworth, J. D. (1996). "The Emperor's New Clothes: Hyperreality and the Study of Latin". The Modern Language Journal. 80 (1): 77–84. doi:10.2307/329060. JSTOR 329060.
  7. ↑ "Spoken Latin in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance". 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  8. ↑ "Barbarisms at the Gate: An Analysis of Some Perils in Active Latin Pedagogy". 2016. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  9. 1 2 "Stephen Hill, PhD". Wyoming Catholic College. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  10. ↑ A Fish. "A&S Professor Brings South American Works Written in Latin to Modern Readers". University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Tatiana Marvina". Topline. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "Ancient Greek Fall 2025". Polis. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Index Academiae sodalium". academialatinitatifovendae.com. Retrieved 2025-12-09. Note: List of members of the Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ACL)
  14. ↑ "Interview With Luke Ranieri". Squarespace. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
  15. ↑ "About the Ancient Language Institute". ancientlanguage.com. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  16. ↑ "Lectures in Latin". paideiainstitute.org. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  17. ↑ "Epic Origins of Western Education : Lecture in LATIN : Luke Ranieri : Living Latin in NYC". youtube.com (in Latin). 6 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-08. Note: This is a lecture delivered in Latin by Ranieri, and posted to the "Paideia Media" YouTube channel managed by the Paideia Institute.
  18. ↑ "University of Dallas - Ancient Greek - Summer 2025". www.polisjerusalem.org. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  19. 1 2 "Prof. Christophe Rico". polisjerusalem.org. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  20. ↑ "Christophe Rico". ebaf.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  21. ↑ "Teaching Latin". New York Times. New York, NY. 1925-01-18. p. E6. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  22. 1 2 "Jenny Teichmann". delphiforum.gr. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  23. ↑ "Summer School 2025 - Argos Didaskei". argos-didaskei.com. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  24. ↑ "Introductory Intensive Greek w/ Teichmann". paideiainstitute.org. Retrieved 2025-12-05.