Highlighting this article which argues in defense of classical language, literature, and cultural studies is a brief description of the history and development of the Latin language, its emergence into modern tongues, its direct Etruscan derivation, and its fixed and formal nature. Other topics treated briefly include a distinction made between Latin and Roman, the cultural and educational mores of the Romans, Latin literary masterpieces, a classification of the Indo-European languages, the classics as a basis for Arts and Sciences curriculums, and a review of the humanistic revival movements. (DS)