HOW DO I LOVE THEE? SAY IT IN LATIN!

February 14, 2013 Classics

Classics Professor Judith Hallett explains how ancient Romans celebrated Valentine's Day.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The ancient Romans knew a little something about celebrating love - but it was March, not February when they had their fun. "Love celebrations did not show up on the ancient Roman calendar until March 1, which was sacred to Juno, goddess of marriage," says University of Maryland Classics Professor Judith Hallett. "On that day husbands would pray for the health of their wives and give them presents, and wives would dress up."

Poems were a favorite way to express that love - for instance, the poet Catullus (ca. 55 BCE) sent this missive to his married lover (translation by Dorothea Wender (1934-2003):

Hallett says there are many, many examples of romantic poems sent by one Roman lover to another.

But for a romantic looking to express his or her love in the 21st Century, Hallett suggests something a bit...different. A more modern love song - translated into Latin, for example, might just be the perfect way to woo a lady's heart. Take the classic "As Time Goes By" (by Herman Hupfeld. Copyright 1931 by Warner Brothers) made famous in the movie Casabanca (scroll down to hear the audio version).