The Six-Year Cycle

Pre-reading suggestions are listed beneath the text for those who are new to the stories. Almost all of these texts are part of the standard Memoria Press curriculum and are available with Teacher Guides if you need more help.

ACA is supportive of parents in continuing their own education by providing classics book recommendations. ACA employs the guiding principle of multum non multa which means “much, not many.” A modern phrasing would be “quality, not quantity.” As a classical tutorial, ACA wants to draw parents and teachers into some of the foundational texts of the classical tradition. The series is a six-year sequence and you can begin at any time during the cycle or individual year. Following the suggested Memoria Press Classical Studies sequence, each year focus on one classical studies text. For the most part, these are texts that every student will read in their time at ACA and that parents may not have read, or may not have read in full, on their own. Reading and discussion with others fosters enjoyment and growth as well as to help parents prepare to engage with their children about these stories for years to come.

Year One: The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes, Dr. Louis Markos

• Ideas for pre-reading if you are new to Myths:
  • D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths. This book is very accessible for a basic overview of Greek mythology. It is also a great audiobook.
  • Famous Men of Greece. This book is a very friendly introduction to the major figures of Greek history. 
  • Famous Men of Rome. This book is a very friendly introduction to the major figures of Roman history. 

Year Two: The Iliad, Homer

• A few translations of the Iliad:
  • Samuel Butler (This is the prose version used in the MP sets. It is both scholarly but very accessible. Prepared students read this in 7th/8th grade at .)
    • Memoria Press Teacher Guide (strongly recommended if you are new to this tale!)
  • Richmond Lattimore
  • Robert Fagles (preferred translation)
• Ideas for pre-reading if you are new to the Iliad:
  • D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, D’Aulaire. This book is very accessible for a basic overview of Greek mythology. It is also a great audiobook.
  • The Trojan War, Coolidge. This is a summary of the entire Trojan War and goes beyond the limited content of the Iliad but provides a great overview of the entire Trojan War cycle.
  • Not included in the MP cores, but other excellent introductions to this story: Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff and Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel adaptation.
  • If your child has already read the Iliad they will be a fantastic resource for you as well.

“Until a few years back, I had never read the Odyssey and never thought to do so, except in the eat-your-broccoli sense that all cultured Westerners must eventually read Homer. When my young son Matthew’s class took up the ancient Greek epic, I read along with him. It turned out to the one of the most thrilling intellectual adventures of my life, one that was even more pleasurable because it was a voyage I made with my son.”

-Rod Dreher, How Dante Can Save Your Life

Year Three: The Odyssey, Homer

• Purchase the Odyssey through Memoria Press and the Teacher Guide (strongly recommended!) for extra help.
• A few translations of the Odyssey:
  • Samuel Butler (This is the version used in the MP sets. It is both scholarly but very accessible. It is written in prose, not metered poetry.)
  • Richmond Lattimore
  • Robert Fagles
• Ideas for pre-reading if you are new to the Odyssey:
  • D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, D’Aulaires. This book is very accessible for a basic overview of Greek mythology. It is also a great audiobook.
  • The Trojan War, Coolidge. This is a summary of the entire Trojan War and goes beyond the limited content of the Odyssey but provides a great overview of the entire Trojan War cycle.Not required, but knowledge of Homer’s Iliad is helpful.
  • Not included in the MP cores, but other excellent introductions to this story: The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff and Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel adaptation (some images may be unsuitable for children). If your child has already read the Odyssey they will be a fantastic resource for you as well.
  • We strongly encourage you to use the MP Odyssey Teacher Guide to help guide you through!

Year Four: Virgil’s Aeneid

• A few translation options of Virgil’s Aeneid:
  • David West (This is the translation used in the Memoria Press set and at ACA)
  • Robert Fagles
• Purchase the Aeneid Teacher Guide from Memoria Press as well for extra help.
• Ideas for pre-reading if you are new to the Aeneid.
  • D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, D’Aulaires. This book is very accessible for a basic overview of Greek (and thus, Roman) mythology. It is also a great audiobook.
  • The Trojan War, Coolidge. This is a summary of the entire Trojan War and goes beyond the content of the Aeneid but provides a great overview of the entire Trojan War cycle.
  • The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred Church. Excellent middle-school age level retelling of the adventures of Aeneas.
  • Not required, but knowledge of Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey is helpful.
  • Not included in the MP cores, but another excellent introduction to this story with beautiful illustrations: In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively (look for used copies).
  • If your child has already read the Iliad, Odyssey, or Aeneid they will be a fantastic resource for you as well.

Year Five: Three Theban Plays, Sophocles

• September – Antigone
• January – Oedipus the King
• April – Oedipus at Colonus

• Text and Teacher Guide (strongly recommended!)
  • The Teacher Guide uses the Robert Fagles’ translation, but you may use any translation.
  • Video Resource: “What is Greek Tragedy” Classical et Cetera Episode 003 with Jon Christianson
• Ideas for pre-reading if you are new to Greek Tragedy.
  • D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, D’Aulaires. This book is very accessible for a basic overview of Greek (and thus, Roman) mythology. It is also a great audiobook.
  • The Trojan War, Coolidge. This is a summary of the entire Trojan War and goes beyond the content of the Aeneid but provides a great overview of the entire Trojan War cycle.

Year Six: The Divine Comedy, Dante

• September – Inferno
• January – Purgatorio
• April – Paradiso

• Text and Memoria Press Teacher Guide (strongly recommended!)
  • The Teacher Guide uses John Ciardi’s translation, but you may use any translation.
• Additional translations for consideration:
  • Anthony Esolen (3 separate books including facing Italian text, Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise)
  • Robert M. Durling (3 separate books including facing Italian text with extensive notes, Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso)
  • Allen Mandelbaum
  • Dorothy Sayers (3 separate books, well known for excellent notes: Hell, Purgatory, Paradise)
• Resources:
  • Dante’s Divine Comedy – Hillsdale College Online Course with English Professor Stephen Smith. The course is comprised of 10 video lectures and includes study guides, readings, and quizzes. (no cost)
  • 100 Days to Dante – A YouTube playlist of the canto videos of the 100 Days of Dante Project. 100 Days of Dante is brought to you by Baylor University in collaboration with the Torrey Honors College at Biola University, University of Dallas, Templeton Honors College at Eastern University, the Gonzaga-in-Florence Program and Gonzaga University, and Whitworth University, with support from the M.J. Murdock Trust. (no cost)