Reader G.A. e-mails to comment on my take on Swedish classicist Tore Janson’s new book A Natural History of Latin: The Story of the World’s Most Successful Language, castigating the ancient Romans for their brutish displays of manly virtues (see Politically Correct Latin, Nov. 3). Seems that all that falling on the sword and trashing Gaul makes Janson “sick.” G.A. writes:


“I took two years of Latin in high school and have been using it ever since. I also saw (and loved) Team America. When I hit the line “Carthago Delenda Est = Rome, F*** yeah” I covered my monitor in a fine spray of soda. Perfect. Absolutely, perfect. That poor, demented ‘scholar’ seems to have lost his multiculuralist bearings.”


We’re with ya, G.A. But be careful with the soda can, though–we’d hate to be responsible for short-circuiting your computer.