In this lesson, Headmaster William Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy leads students through the first of Cicero’s Familiar Epistles, a letter written to his wife, Terentia. Students examine the structure of Roman correspondence—its greeting, health inquiry, message, and closing—while analyzing every word grammatically and syntactically. The lesson provides both literal and idiomatic translations, illustrating how Cicero’s refined Latin expresses affection, duty, and moral virtue within the order of family life. Through this study, students gain mastery of epistolary Latin, deepen their understanding of classical culture, and see how natural virtue prepares the soul for divine grace in Catholic philosophy.

Learn more or enroll in the course at classicalliberalarts.com.

Mr. William C. Michael, O.P. Headmaster Classical Liberal Arts Academy

In this lecture, William Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy leads students through Chapter 3 of Book I of Aristotle’s Rhetoric, one of the foundational texts of classical education. In this chapter, Aristotle distinguishes between common and proper arguments, defines the three genera of rhetoric—deliberative, judicial, and demonstrative—and explains their corresponding ends: the advantageous, the just, and the honorable. Students learn how rhetorical reasoning (enthymeme) differs from scientific reasoning, how audience and purpose determine the form of speech, and why Aristotle’s principles have guided Catholic educators and Scholastic philosophers for centuries.

Learn more or enroll in the course at classicalliberalarts.com.

Mr. William C. Michael, O.P. Headmaster Classical Liberal Arts Academy

In this lesson, Headmaster William Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy guides students through Genesis Chapter 3, which records the fall of Adam and Eve and the beginning of salvation history. Students study the serpent’s temptation, humanity’s disobedience, the immediate effects of sin, and God’s just yet merciful response. The lesson highlights the Protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15)—the first promise of a Redeemer—and explains how this chapter forms the foundation for Catholic teaching on original sin, human suffering, and redemption through Christ.

Learn more or enroll in the course at classicalliberalarts.com.

Mr. William C. Michel, O.P. Headmaster Classical Liberal Arts Academy