WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.660 Welcome back. I want you to take a second and 00:00:03.660 --> 00:00:07.639 picture the streets of modern day Beijing. Oh, 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:10.460 yeah. The neon lights, the massive crowds. Right. 00:00:10.539 --> 00:00:13.240 The soaring skyscrapers, high speed rail, all 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:15.619 that cutting edge digital infrastructure. I mean, 00:00:15.619 --> 00:00:17.199 it's a megacity, right? It's moving at a million 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.620 miles an hour straight into the future. Absolutely. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:22.199 But and this is the crazy part hidden right in 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:24.550 the middle of. All that incredible modern momentum 00:00:24.550 --> 00:00:27.829 is the echo of a completely different world. 00:00:27.949 --> 00:00:30.609 A very old world. Exactly. A world of ancient 00:00:30.609 --> 00:00:35.130 manuscripts, complex inflections, and the Roman 00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:38.469 Empire. It turns out that classical Latin is 00:00:38.469 --> 00:00:40.450 actually thriving right now in modern China. 00:00:40.890 --> 00:00:42.490 It really is one of those concepts that just 00:00:42.490 --> 00:00:45.310 forces you to stop and reevaluate all your assumptions 00:00:45.310 --> 00:00:47.350 about how the world works. Because when you think 00:00:47.350 --> 00:00:50.030 of classical languages, your mind usually defaults 00:00:50.030 --> 00:00:52.869 straight to, you know, the old ivy -covered universities 00:00:52.869 --> 00:00:54.990 of Europe. Oxford, Cambridge, places like that. 00:00:55.049 --> 00:00:57.509 Right. But the geography of knowledge is constantly 00:00:57.509 --> 00:01:00.450 shifting. And today's topic is just a perfect 00:01:00.450 --> 00:01:02.969 example of how knowledge crosses borders in the 00:01:02.969 --> 00:01:06.069 most unexpected and really intricate ways. And 00:01:06.069 --> 00:01:09.609 that is our mission. for this deep dive. We're 00:01:09.609 --> 00:01:12.290 looking at a stack of notes today centered around 00:01:12.290 --> 00:01:15.430 an institution known as Latinita Sinica. We're 00:01:15.430 --> 00:01:18.489 going to explore exactly how and why an ancient 00:01:18.489 --> 00:01:21.849 European language has carved out this dedicated 00:01:21.849 --> 00:01:25.689 official space in a university in Beijing. We 00:01:25.689 --> 00:01:27.150 want to understand what this unique cultural 00:01:27.150 --> 00:01:29.870 bridge actually looks like, who's building it, 00:01:29.950 --> 00:01:32.230 and ultimately why a project like this fundamentally 00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:35.090 matters to you. It's a fascinating bridge. It 00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:38.209 really is. So if you're a language lover, a history 00:01:38.209 --> 00:01:41.189 buff, or just someone who is insanely curious 00:01:41.189 --> 00:01:43.930 about how completely different cultures intersect, 00:01:44.250 --> 00:01:46.489 you are in the right place. Okay, let's unpack 00:01:46.489 --> 00:01:48.599 this. So to start, I think we have to look at 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:50.379 the name itself and where it actually lives. 00:01:50.780 --> 00:01:53.060 Latinita Sinica. Translated directly, it means 00:01:53.060 --> 00:01:56.180 Chinese Latinity. Chinese Latinity. Right. Just 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.719 that phrase places two massive, historically 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.799 distinct cultural spheres side by side in a way 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.420 we really rarely see. And the center is housed 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:06.340 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. Which 00:02:06.340 --> 00:02:08.580 makes sense in a way, but also really doesn't. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:10.740 Exactly. I mean, a foreign studies university 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:14.099 is by definition a gateway. It's an academic 00:02:14.099 --> 00:02:16.620 space that's designed to bring the outside. world 00:02:16.620 --> 00:02:19.780 into China and simultaneously project Chinese 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:22.479 understanding back out into the world. Sure. 00:02:22.539 --> 00:02:24.300 But typically you'd expect to find departments 00:02:24.300 --> 00:02:27.379 dedicated to modern spoken languages there. Yeah. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:29.740 Commercial and diplomatic languages. English, 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.539 Spanish. Arabic, French. Right. Finding a center 00:02:33.539 --> 00:02:36.819 wholly dedicated to Latin in that specific environment 00:02:36.819 --> 00:02:39.819 is just such a striking contrast. It really is. 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:41.860 It's kind of like walking through a massive futuristic 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:44.939 tech hub. You open a random door and suddenly 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:48.400 you're standing inside a deeply quiet ancient 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:51.240 library filled with parchment. That's a great 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:53.159 way to picture it. And what makes this even more 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:55.310 compelling is the timeline. Because this isn't 00:02:55.310 --> 00:02:57.250 some forgotten relic from the 19th century that 00:02:57.250 --> 00:02:59.090 just managed to survive a bunch of bureaucratic 00:02:59.090 --> 00:03:01.930 cuts over the years. Latinita Sinica was established 00:03:01.930 --> 00:03:04.389 very recently. Very recently. Yeah, it was officially 00:03:04.389 --> 00:03:07.069 founded in 2012. Which tells us a lot. It tells 00:03:07.069 --> 00:03:09.189 us that this isn't about simply preserving a 00:03:09.189 --> 00:03:12.210 dusty past. It represents an active, modern, 00:03:12.289 --> 00:03:14.930 and highly deliberate interest. Yeah, 2012 is 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:16.949 basically yesterday. Right. In the grand sweeping 00:03:16.949 --> 00:03:20.050 timeline of the Latin language, 2012 is a blink 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:23.560 of an eye. It shows a real 21st century decision 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:27.259 to invest serious resources, time, and academic 00:03:27.259 --> 00:03:30.120 rigor into studying classical languages in China 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.879 today. They are building a foundation for the 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:36.099 future, not just looking backward. And the actual 00:03:36.099 --> 00:03:38.500 scope of what they're doing there is incredibly 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:41.919 ambitious. They aren't just hosting like a casual 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:44.199 weekly reading group for enthusiasts. Oh, no, 00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:46.639 it's way beyond that. They are actively building 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:49.379 the infrastructure for education by supporting 00:03:49.379 --> 00:03:52.120 the actual learning and teaching of the Latin 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:54.419 language within China. They're promoting deep 00:03:54.419 --> 00:03:56.539 academic research into Latin language and culture. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:59.159 And they even offer various services related 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:01.319 to the Latin language to Chinese society at large. 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:03.800 It's a comprehensive approach. It is. But there 00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:06.259 are two specific. research areas they focus on 00:04:06.259 --> 00:04:08.000 that I think we really need to pause and examine. 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:10.180 The first is something called Latin Synology. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.639 So let's break that down for a second. Synology 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:15.599 is the study of Chinese language, history, and 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:19.699 culture. So we add Latin modifier to that. Are 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:22.420 we basically talking about the study of historical 00:04:22.420 --> 00:04:25.500 Latin texts that were written about China? Precisely. 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:29.000 That is exactly it. Because for centuries, early 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.139 European scholars, travelers, missionaries who 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:34.660 visited China, they wrote their observations, 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:37.339 their maps, their philosophical treatises in 00:04:37.339 --> 00:04:39.420 Latin. Because that was the language of science 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:41.800 and academia at the time. Right. Latin was the 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:44.519 universal language of academia in Europe. So 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.220 if a modern Chinese scholar wants to fully understand 00:04:47.220 --> 00:04:50.339 how the West first perceived, documented and 00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:52.920 engaged with Chinese culture, they can't just 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:55.680 rely entirely on. modern English or French translations. 00:04:56.019 --> 00:04:57.819 They lose too much context. Exactly. They have 00:04:57.819 --> 00:05:00.060 to go back to the original source material. So 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:02.540 Latin Sinology is the process of Chinese scholars 00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:05.279 using Latin to unlock historical perspectives 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:07.779 on their own country. Man, that is a phenomenal 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:10.759 academic loop. It really is. You have modern 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:12.860 Chinese students learning an ancient European 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:16.120 language to read what ancient Europeans wrote 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.699 about ancient China. It adds such a profound 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:23.079 layer of depth to historical research. It's incredibly 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:25.399 layered. And that ties directly into their other 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:28.060 major research focus, which honestly might be 00:05:28.060 --> 00:05:30.779 even more complex. They are researching early 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:33.019 Latin to Chinese translation. Oh, yeah. This 00:05:33.019 --> 00:05:36.540 is a huge undertaking. Untangling thousands of 00:05:36.540 --> 00:05:38.939 years of linguistic translation sounds like the 00:05:38.939 --> 00:05:41.199 work of a lifetime. What's fascinating here is 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.040 the sheer immense scholarly effort required to 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.060 bridge those two specific linguistic frameworks. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.339 We aren't just talking about translating Spanish 00:05:50.339 --> 00:05:52.300 to Italian. Right, where they're basically cousins. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:54.639 Right, where the languages share a vast root 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:57.420 system, similar alphabets, and parallel cultural 00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:00.540 histories. Latin and Chinese developed entirely 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:03.220 independently of one another on completely opposite 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:05.720 sides of the globe. Literally worlds apart. Worlds 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:08.399 apart. Latin is a heavily inflected language. 00:06:08.579 --> 00:06:11.199 It relies on incredibly complex word endings 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.939 to convey grammatical meaning. Like who is doing 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:16.420 the action, who is receiving it, the tense, the 00:06:16.420 --> 00:06:19.720 mood. Exactly. And it uses a phonetic alphabet. 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:23.379 Chinese, on the other hand, is tonal. It relies 00:06:23.379 --> 00:06:26.379 heavily on strict word order for grammar and 00:06:26.379 --> 00:06:29.560 uses a logographic writing system where intricate 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:32.199 characters represent words or concepts rather 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:34.959 than just sounds. So it's not just swapping vocabularies, 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:36.959 translating entirely different ways of organizing 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.079 human thought. That's the perfect way to phrase 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:41.670 it. You are taking a Roman language. that is 00:06:41.670 --> 00:06:44.209 just obsessed with structural cases and grammatical 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:46.290 precision, and you're trying to map it onto a 00:06:46.290 --> 00:06:49.610 Chinese system steeped in ancient holistic philosophies. 00:06:49.610 --> 00:06:51.949 Yes. So when an early translator tried to take 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:54.930 a Roman concept like Virgis or Pietas words that 00:06:54.930 --> 00:06:57.589 have deep, very specific connotations in ancient 00:06:57.589 --> 00:07:00.389 Rome and find a Chinese character for it, they 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:01.750 had to choose a character that already carried 00:07:01.750 --> 00:07:04.290 thousands of years of Confucian or Taoist baggage. 00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:07.269 And that is exactly the monumental challenge 00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:10.329 Latinita Seneca is studying. When they dedicate 00:07:10.329 --> 00:07:12.370 themselves to studying these early translations, 00:07:12.790 --> 00:07:15.110 they are untangling how the very first scholars 00:07:15.110 --> 00:07:18.050 attempted to explain completely alien European 00:07:18.050 --> 00:07:21.310 concepts using Chinese characters. It's mind 00:07:21.310 --> 00:07:23.230 -blowing when you really think about it. It is 00:07:23.230 --> 00:07:26.910 a masterclass in cultural decoding. And by acting 00:07:26.910 --> 00:07:29.550 as the central hub for this incredibly specific 00:07:29.550 --> 00:07:33.410 research, Laetitia Sinica becomes a vital reference 00:07:33.410 --> 00:07:36.709 point. For everyone else. Exactly. Any institution 00:07:36.709 --> 00:07:39.610 around the world that is interested in how Laetitia 00:07:39.610 --> 00:07:41.100 Sinica Latin is perceived, taught, and historically 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:44.259 translated in China, now has a central official 00:07:44.259 --> 00:07:47.600 academic address to look to. Which naturally 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:50.160 brings us to the people who are actually leading 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:53.120 a monumental task like that. Yeah. Because an 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.519 institution with such a heavy, complex mission 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.980 doesn't just run on autopilot. No, it definitely 00:07:57.980 --> 00:08:00.199 doesn't. It requires visionary leadership to 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.600 keep this kind of niche academic pursuit thriving. 00:08:04.220 --> 00:08:06.779 And the notes show two key figures driving this 00:08:06.779 --> 00:08:08.879 initiative. You have the current director, Michelle 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:11.420 Ferrero, and one of the primary advisors for 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:14.480 the center, the Latinist Leopold Lieb. Their 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.139 involvement really highlights that this center 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:18.180 is drawing on specialized, dedicated expertise 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:20.759 to ensure the study of Latin in China meets the 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:23.279 absolute highest academic standards. Furthermore, 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:25.379 their leadership demonstrates that Latinita Sinica 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:28.220 is not operating in an isolated academic bubble, 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.160 because it would be very easy for a center like 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:34.279 this to simply keep to itself in Beijing. quietly 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.799 translating texts. But the documentation shows 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.100 they have actively built an impressive, robust, 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:44.960 global network. They have forged direct connections 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:48.019 with other major centers for the studies of classics 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:50.220 worldwide. Yeah, you'd think they might be operating 00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:52.639 in a silo, but looking at their partnerships, 00:08:52.779 --> 00:08:55.340 they are deeply plugged into Europe. Very deeply. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.340 They're working directly with the European Center 00:08:57.340 --> 00:09:00.460 for Humanistic Studies, known as Erasmus. And 00:09:00.460 --> 00:09:02.620 even more notably, they have formed a strong 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:06.059 connection with the Pontificium Institutum Altioris 00:09:06.059 --> 00:09:08.500 Latinitatis in Rome. The Pontifical Institute 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:11.639 of Higher Latinity. Right. That is a prestigious 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:14.639 Vatican -linked institution that is essentially 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:17.340 the global epicenter for the study of the Latin 00:09:17.340 --> 00:09:19.879 language. Connecting Beijing straight to Rome 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:21.840 like that. So what does this all mean? It seems 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:23.879 to me this is entirely about validation. Oh, 00:09:23.899 --> 00:09:26.220 validation is a key part of it. Absolutely. It 00:09:26.220 --> 00:09:28.480 elevates the work from a local niche academic 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:31.200 interest into a globally recognized endeavor. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.899 It does. And it creates a genuine functioning 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:38.279 two -way street of cultural and linguistic exchange. 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:42.179 When Latinita Sinica partners with historic European 00:09:42.179 --> 00:09:44.919 institutions of that caliber, it proves that 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:46.820 the researchers and students in Beijing aren't 00:09:46.820 --> 00:09:49.580 merely passive consumers of Latin history. They're 00:09:49.580 --> 00:09:52.259 contributing. They are active, highly respected 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:54.559 participants in the global conversation about 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.679 classical languages. The scholars in Rome gained 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.100 the opportunity to learn from the deeply unique 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:03.279 cross -cultural perspectives of Chinese academics. 00:10:03.620 --> 00:10:06.659 While the Chinese scholars secured Direct institutional 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:09.860 access to the historical heart of the language 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:12.240 they are dedicating their lives to study. I really 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.480 want you listening right now to just imagine 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.539 the logistical and cultural reality of organizing 00:10:17.539 --> 00:10:20.279 that kind of cross -continental academic program. 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:22.600 It's a headache just thinking about it. Seriously. 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:25.580 You are dealing with different time zones, entirely 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:27.980 different academic calendars, vastly different 00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:30.039 primary speaking languages, different cultural 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:33.019 norms, all trying to coordinate seamlessly around 00:10:33.019 --> 00:10:35.000 a shared devotion to a language that hasn't been 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.559 spoken natively for over a millennium. It takes 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:39.720 an incredible amount of passion to make that 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:43.299 work. It really does. And that passion culminated 00:10:43.299 --> 00:10:45.919 in a really massive milestone back in the summer 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:49.139 of 2014. That was a defining moment for the center's 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:51.399 international outreach. Yeah. During that summer, 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:54.370 Latinita Seneca. and the Pontifical Institute 00:10:54.370 --> 00:10:58.149 in Rome joined forces to organize something completely 00:10:58.149 --> 00:11:01.429 unprecedented. They put together the very first 00:11:01.429 --> 00:11:04.389 summer Latin intensive course for Chinese students. 00:11:04.649 --> 00:11:06.710 They physically brought the students from Beijing 00:11:06.710 --> 00:11:10.070 to Italy for an immersive educational experience. 00:11:10.529 --> 00:11:12.809 Just picture the profound impact of that trip 00:11:12.809 --> 00:11:15.009 on a student. You have Chinese students traveling 00:11:15.009 --> 00:11:17.490 all the way to Rome to engage in a rigorous, 00:11:17.629 --> 00:11:20.210 intensive study of Latin. They are physically 00:11:20.210 --> 00:11:22.769 walking the ancient cobblestone street. where 00:11:22.769 --> 00:11:25.269 the language was actually born. They are looking 00:11:25.269 --> 00:11:27.590 up and reading the original Latin inscriptions 00:11:27.590 --> 00:11:31.389 carved into 2 ,000 -year -old monuments. But 00:11:31.389 --> 00:11:33.570 they are processing all of that ancient European 00:11:33.570 --> 00:11:35.970 history through the lens of their own modern 00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:38.509 Chinese upbringing and education. That's wild. 00:11:38.750 --> 00:11:40.809 It is an immersion experience that fundamentally 00:11:40.809 --> 00:11:44.299 alters how a student perceives the world. They 00:11:44.299 --> 00:11:46.120 didn't just pat themselves on the back after 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:49.200 2014 and call it a day. They have actually made 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:52.480 this intensive summer course an annual fixture. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:55.539 Which is so important. They're consistently providing 00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:57.919 these immersive opportunities year after year, 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.200 ensuring that new cohorts of students get to 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.679 experience that exact same geographical and linguistic 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:08.200 connection. Which is absolutely vital for true 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:11.519 language acquisition. An intensive summer course, 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:13.720 especially one set in a relevant... historical 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:17.440 location forces a student to live and breathe 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.639 the material. You can't escape it. Right. It 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.620 moves the language out of the theoretical realm 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:24.700 of a textbook exercise and turns it into a living, 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:28.259 breathing daily practice. You cannot passively 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:30.779 learn during an intensive immersion. You have 00:12:30.779 --> 00:12:33.440 to actively inhabit the language. Okay. Speaking 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:35.519 of living and inhabiting the language, here's 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.559 where it gets really interesting. Okay. When 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:39.500 you think about the day -to -day reality of studying 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:42.039 an ancient classical language, you probably picture 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:45.000 quite Quiet, dimly lit library. Heavy dictionaries. 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:47.940 Exactly. People hunched over desks, translating 00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:51.240 texts in total absolute silence. But the students 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:54.139 and faculty at Latinita Seneca have a completely 00:12:54.139 --> 00:12:57.519 different, remarkably vibrant approach to bringing 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:00.059 this so -called dead language back to life. You 00:13:00.059 --> 00:13:01.899 do. They aren't just reading the language in 00:13:01.899 --> 00:13:04.860 silence. They're singing it. It is arguably one 00:13:04.860 --> 00:13:07.139 of the most delightful and revealing details 00:13:07.139 --> 00:13:09.179 about the culture they have built at the center. 00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:12.600 Every single year, Latinita Seneca holds a dedicated 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:15.659 performance of Latin songs. And the repertoire 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:19.279 they choose is incredibly varied. They sing Godemus, 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.419 which is a very traditional, joyful, and upbeat 00:13:22.419 --> 00:13:25.679 academic anthem. It's been belted out by university 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.039 students across Europe for centuries to celebrate 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:30.320 youth and student life. It's a classic. Yeah. 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:33.360 Then they sing Panis Angelicus, which is a deeply 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:36.419 historical, solemn, and reverent piece. And then 00:13:36.419 --> 00:13:38.500 they perform the Latin version of the Anthem 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:41.059 of Europe. The performance aspect is so crucial 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:44.019 to understanding the underlying ethos of Latinita 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:47.379 Seneca. When you take a language out of the quiet 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:50.860 library and put it up on a stage, when you add 00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:54.740 melody, rhythm, breath and communal voices, you 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:56.879 fundamentally change the relationship between 00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:59.080 the student and the subject matter. It becomes 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:02.169 physical. Yes. Performing music transforms a 00:14:02.169 --> 00:14:04.250 language from an abstract intellectual puzzle 00:14:04.250 --> 00:14:07.549 into a deeply felt shared communal experience. 00:14:08.090 --> 00:14:10.750 The students have to physically feel the ancient 00:14:10.750 --> 00:14:13.490 words resonating in their chests and throats. 00:14:13.669 --> 00:14:16.090 There is something inherently unifying about 00:14:16.090 --> 00:14:18.169 a choir, regardless of the language being sung. 00:14:18.330 --> 00:14:20.970 But we really need to zero in on that last song 00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:23.210 on their set list. The Anthem of Europe. The 00:14:23.210 --> 00:14:25.929 Anthem of Europe, sung in Latin by Chinese students. 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:28.159 In the middle of Beijing. If we connect this 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.379 to the bigger picture, the symbolism there is 00:14:30.379 --> 00:14:32.659 absolutely staggering. It really is. Think about 00:14:32.659 --> 00:14:34.320 what the anthem of Europe actually represents. 00:14:34.580 --> 00:14:36.940 The decision by the European Union to use Latin 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:39.840 for their anthem was inherently a grand compromise. 00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:43.500 How so? Well, Europe is home to dozens of distinct, 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.759 fiercely proud modern national languages. Choosing 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.000 French or German or English for the anthem would 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.740 have inevitably prioritized one modern nation's 00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:55.929 culture over another. That makes sense. It would 00:14:55.929 --> 00:14:58.629 cause a huge political headache. Exactly. So 00:14:58.629 --> 00:15:01.149 they chose Latin. They chose a shared ancestral 00:15:01.149 --> 00:15:03.649 language that belongs to everyone's collective 00:15:03.649 --> 00:15:07.009 history but belongs to no one's present geopolitical 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:10.230 landscape. It represents unity precisely because 00:15:10.230 --> 00:15:13.210 it transcends modern borders. And now you have 00:15:13.210 --> 00:15:15.289 students at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, 00:15:15.610 --> 00:15:17.950 thousands of miles away from Europe, singing 00:15:17.950 --> 00:15:20.830 that exact anthem of unity in that exact ancient 00:15:20.830 --> 00:15:23.350 language. It's beautiful. It takes a song meant 00:15:23.350 --> 00:15:25.879 to unify a continent. and expands it to unify 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:27.929 across the globe. It is a profound demonstration 00:15:27.929 --> 00:15:31.309 of globalism in its purest, most academic and 00:15:31.309 --> 00:15:35.029 cultural form. It represents a shared human heritage 00:15:35.029 --> 00:15:38.090 that utterly transcends modern political and 00:15:38.090 --> 00:15:40.830 geographic boundaries. When those students in 00:15:40.830 --> 00:15:43.309 Beijing sing that anthem, they are demonstrating 00:15:43.309 --> 00:15:46.169 a beautiful truth. The history of human thought, 00:15:46.289 --> 00:15:48.690 language and art does not exclusively belong 00:15:48.690 --> 00:15:51.450 to the specific geographic area where it originated. 00:15:51.789 --> 00:15:53.990 It belongs to everyone. It belongs to anyone, 00:15:54.289 --> 00:15:56.559 anywhere who is willing. willing to put in the 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.440 time, the passion, and the academic rigor to 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.240 study it. It belongs to humanity as a whole. 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:04.879 It really reframes what a university department 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:07.720 can actually be. It's not just a place to memorize 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:10.480 vocabulary and earn a degree. It's a place to 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:13.620 actively, joyfully participate in a continuous 00:16:13.620 --> 00:16:16.299 global human tradition. Absolutely. And they 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:18.399 make absolutely sure this ongoing participation 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:23.070 isn't just lost to the ether either. issues an 00:16:23.070 --> 00:16:26.049 online periodical every single year that is entirely 00:16:26.049 --> 00:16:29.070 dedicated to Latin studies in China. Documentation 00:16:29.070 --> 00:16:31.669 is a critical piece of the academic puzzle here. 00:16:31.950 --> 00:16:34.629 Publishing an annual online periodical ensures 00:16:34.629 --> 00:16:36.610 that the ongoing cultural exchange we've been 00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:38.929 discussing is actually preserved. Right. It's 00:16:38.929 --> 00:16:41.690 not just a fleeting moment. Exactly. The complex 00:16:41.690 --> 00:16:44.409 research on early Latin to Chinese translations, 00:16:44.830 --> 00:16:46.870 the detailed notes from the summer intensive 00:16:46.870 --> 00:16:49.789 courses in Rome, the latest developments in Latin 00:16:49.789 --> 00:16:52.179 sonology. All of it is recorded. It creates a 00:16:52.179 --> 00:16:54.960 permanent digital trail. It does. A trail for 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:57.559 future scholars to follow. It proves that Latinita 00:16:57.559 --> 00:17:00.360 Seneca isn't just a temporary project. It is 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.000 actively, meticulously building a modern archive 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.299 of classical scholarship in Asia. So we have 00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:09.099 covered some truly incredible ground today, pulling 00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:11.599 all these intricate threads together. We started 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:13.920 with the foundation of Latinita Seneca back in 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:16.380 2012 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.619 establishing the completely unexpected home of 00:17:19.619 --> 00:17:22.410 Chinese Latinity. We unpacked their incredibly 00:17:22.410 --> 00:17:25.269 ambitious academic mission, moving from the foundational 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:28.089 support of basic education to tackling the immensely 00:17:28.089 --> 00:17:30.750 complex, philosophically dense research of early 00:17:30.750 --> 00:17:33.309 Latin to Chinese translations and Latin Sinology. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:35.819 We highlighted the visionary leadership of figures 00:17:35.819 --> 00:17:38.460 like Mikel Ferrero and Leopold Lieb. We also 00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:40.700 explored how the center broke out of the local 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:44.000 academic bubble by forging strong, active, and 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.019 highly strategic partnerships with historic institutions, 00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:50.200 most notably the Pontifical Institute of Higher 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:53.559 Latinity in Rome. We saw how those global partnerships 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.849 translated into... real -world, life -changing 00:17:56.849 --> 00:17:59.390 experiences for the students, starting with that 00:17:59.390 --> 00:18:02.410 milestone 2014 summer intensive immersion course 00:18:02.410 --> 00:18:06.130 in Italy and continuing every year since. And, 00:18:06.250 --> 00:18:07.670 of course, we talked about how they bring the 00:18:07.670 --> 00:18:10.430 language to life through the physical communal 00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:13.549 act of their annual musical performances, singing 00:18:13.549 --> 00:18:17.450 Godemus, Panis Angelicus, and the deeply symbolic 00:18:17.450 --> 00:18:20.329 Anthem of Europe. Proving that a so -called dead 00:18:20.329 --> 00:18:23.490 language can still create a very vibrant, joyful 00:18:23.490 --> 00:18:26.509 and unifying noise. It is an amazing, deeply 00:18:26.509 --> 00:18:29.150 human journey from an ancient Roman manuscript 00:18:29.150 --> 00:18:32.049 to a modern stage in Beijing. It really is. And 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:34.029 this is exactly why taking the time to understand 00:18:34.029 --> 00:18:36.029 topics like this matters so much to you, the 00:18:36.029 --> 00:18:38.309 listener. We live in an era characterized by 00:18:38.309 --> 00:18:40.710 intense, relentless information overload. Oh, 00:18:40.730 --> 00:18:43.130 completely. We are constantly bombarded with 00:18:43.130 --> 00:18:45.950 breaking alerts, the latest digital apps, the 00:18:45.950 --> 00:18:50.349 newest fleeting trends. deeply exhausting, and 00:18:50.349 --> 00:18:52.289 it can sometimes make the world feel very small, 00:18:52.509 --> 00:18:55.190 very segmented, and very stressed. Yeah, you 00:18:55.190 --> 00:18:57.750 get tunnel vision. You do, but learning about 00:18:57.750 --> 00:19:00.609 an institution like Latinita Sinica acts as a 00:19:00.609 --> 00:19:03.190 necessary circuit breaker for that daily overload. 00:19:03.470 --> 00:19:06.549 It is a brilliant, shining reminder that taking 00:19:06.549 --> 00:19:09.150 the time to study the deep historical roots of 00:19:09.150 --> 00:19:11.750 distant cultures actually enriches and expands 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:14.309 our own modern worldview. It gives us perspective. 00:19:14.670 --> 00:19:16.650 It shows us that there is always more depth to 00:19:16.650 --> 00:19:19.410 learn, and that humanity is wonderfully capable 00:19:19.410 --> 00:19:22.109 of building academic and cultural bridges across 00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:25.529 thousands of years and thousands of miles simply 00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:27.670 for the pure joy of understanding one another 00:19:27.670 --> 00:19:30.349 better. It makes the world feel vast, interconnected, 00:19:30.670 --> 00:19:33.109 and full of hidden treasures again, which is 00:19:33.109 --> 00:19:35.710 exactly the mission behind why we do these deep 00:19:35.710 --> 00:19:37.789 dives in the first place. This raises an important 00:19:37.789 --> 00:19:39.990 question, though. Something I want you to really 00:19:39.990 --> 00:19:43.309 mull over long after this deep dive ends. Today, 00:19:43.369 --> 00:19:45.769 we've seen how an ancient European language found 00:19:45.769 --> 00:19:48.250 a passionate, dedicated, and officially supported 00:19:48.250 --> 00:19:51.930 home in the very heart of modern China. It makes 00:19:51.930 --> 00:19:54.650 you wonder what other hidden, seemingly impossible 00:19:54.650 --> 00:19:57.390 intersections of history and culture are waiting 00:19:57.390 --> 00:19:59.529 out there in the world for you to discover. Oh, 00:19:59.529 --> 00:20:01.809 I love that. What other incredible combinations 00:20:01.809 --> 00:20:03.930 of the ancient past and the cutting edge present 00:20:03.930 --> 00:20:06.750 are hiding right under our noses, just waiting 00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:09.089 for someone curious enough to look. That is a 00:20:09.089 --> 00:20:11.710 perfect, expansive thought to leave on. Thank 00:20:11.710 --> 00:20:13.529 you so much for taking the time to join us on 00:20:13.529 --> 00:20:16.359 this deep dive into Latinita Seneca. We hope 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:18.440 it sparked a new sense of wonder for you today. 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:21.740 Keep questioning the world around you, keep exploring 00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:24.180 those hidden intersections, and above all, keep 00:20:24.180 --> 00:20:26.700 that curiosity alive. We will catch you next 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:26.960 time.