List of Classical Colloquia

This page lists colloquies (Latin colloquia), which are scripted dialogues (a form of textbook) written for language instruction and practice in Classical languages such as Latin or Ancient Greek. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

This list includes colloquies from any time period: ancient, medieval, Scholastic, Renaissance, or later times including the present day.

For the purpose of this list, we use the same definition of "Classical languages" as is used at Classics departments at major European and North American universities, and indeed the same definition used at the Wikipedia Classics page: Latin and Ancient Greek.

However, colloquies in other classical languages can also be listed here, provided that they take the same form: a scripted dialogue whose main purpose is to show examples of useful phrases in the target language, for pedagogical purposes.

Especially significant or influential works and authors are highlighted in yellow, below.

List of Classical Colloquia

Year or century	Author	Titles	Lat	Grk	Other lang	Comment
900	Ælfric of Eynsham	Ælfric’s Colloquy [5] [6]	yes	no	Old Eng.
200	anonymous	Hermeneumata Pseudodositheana [7]  ; Ἑρμηνεύματα	yes	yes		comment Parts were attributed to Dositheus Magister, hence the name Pseudodositheana. [8] Composed as a Greek-Latin schoolbook in late antiquity, probably around the third century CE. The work was originally composed to help Greeks learn Latin, but in the medieval West, it came to be widely used as a source for Latin-literate authors to learn about Greek. [9]
1400	anonymous	Manuale Scholarium [10]	yes	no	German	comment Latin dialogues between medieval university students (primarily two students, Camillus and Bartoldus) partly insulting and rowdy. [11]
1518	Desiderius Erasmus	Colloquies [12] more Colloquia familiaria ; Familiaria Colloquia	yes	no		comment Often cited with the simple title "Colloquies" or as Colloquia familiaria
1594 (2020)	Gretser, Jacob (1594) and Fergus Walsh (ed., 2020)	Four Greek Dialogues [13] [14] more Progymnasmata Latinitatis	no	yes	English	comment Translated by Jacob Gretser (1594) from Pontanus' Progymnasmata Latinitatis (1578) [14]
1587	Posselius, Johannes (Senior)  [ de ]	De formulis colloquiorum quotidianorum [15] more De formulis colloquiorum quotidianorum libellus [15]  ; Καθημερινῆς ὁμιλίας βιβλίον	yes	no		comment This work was later expanded by Posselius's son, Posselius, Johannes (Junior)  [ de ], and published under the title Familiarium Colloquium Graece et Latine Libellus, with added dialogues and material. [16] [17]
1656 (2017)	Posselius, Johannes (Junior)  [ de ] (1656); bedwere (ed., 2017)	Book of Domestic Dialogues [18] [19] more Book of Domestic Dialogues in Greek and Latin [18] [19]  ; Οἰκείων διαλόγων βιβλίον Ἑλληνιστὶ καὶ Ῥωμαϊστί; Familiarium Colloquium Graece et Latine Libellus	yes	yes	English	comment Familiarium Colloquium Graece et Latine Libellus is generally ascribed to Johannes Posselius (Junior)  [ de ]. However, some sources suggest this work is an expansion of an earlier work titled Καθημερινῆς ὁμιλίας βιβλίον (De formulis colloquiorum quotidianorum libellus) written by his father Johannes Posselius (Senior)  [ de ]. The younger Posselius is credited with the definitive and widely published versions that circulated during the 16th and 17th centuries, often with added dialogues and material. [16] [17]
1871	Blackie, John Stuart	Greek and English Dialogues, for Use in Schools and Colleges [20] [21]	no	yes	English
1657	Corderius, Maturinus, Charles Hoole (trnsl.)	School Colloquies [22] [23] [24] more "Colloquia" ; "Colloquiorum scholasticorum libri quatuor"; [25] "M. Corderius's School Colloquies, English and Latine"	yes			comment Corderius possessed special tact and liking for teaching children, and wrote several books for them; the most famous is his Colloquia (Colloquiorum scholasticorum libri quatuor), which has passed through innumerable editions, and was used in schools for three centuries after his time. [25]
1533 (?)	Maturinus Corderius	Distichs of Cato [26] more "The Cato" ; Catonis Disticha ; Disticha de moribus nomine Catonis inscripta	yes	no	French	comment Latin collection of proverbial wisdom and morality by an unknown author from the 3rd or 4th century AD. The Cato was prized not only as a Latin textbook, but as a moral compass. Cato was in common use as a Latin teaching aid in the 18th century when it was used by Benjamin Franklin. It was one of the best-known books in the Middle Ages and was translated into many languages. It was still used in schools in parts of Britain in the 19th century. [27] Corderius made the French translation, enriching it with commentaries on classical authors. His work was aimed at children with a summary, verses and an analysis of the structure. It was actually a grammatical treatise. [28] [29]
1659	Charles Hoole	Pueriles Confabulatiunculæ [30] more "Children's Talk. English and Latin"	yes	no	English	comment Charles Hoole also translated Cordier's Disticha Catonis into English
1525	Schottenius, Hermann	Colloquia Sive Confabulationes Tyronum Literatorum [31] [32] more Tyronum literatorum colloquia, sive Confabulationes	yes	no

References

1. "Erasmus' Colloquies: Latin and the Good Life". Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies. 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
2. "Spoken Latin in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance". 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
3. Eleanor Dickey (2016). Learning Latin the Ancient Way. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN   978-1-107-09360-7.
4. Deneire, Tom (2014). "School Colloquia". In Ford, Philip (ed.). Brill's Encyclopaedia of the Neo-Latin World. Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004271296_enlo_B9789004271029_0124. ISBN   978-9004265721.
5. Early Scholastic Colloquies at the Internet Archive
6. Ælfric (1991) [27 Jun 1905]. Garmonsway, G. N. (ed.). Colloquy. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN   978-0859890984.
7. Corpus glossariorum latinorum at the Internet Archive
8. Boucherie 1868 , p. 271-272
9. [Christine Franzen], 'Introduction', in Ashgate Critical Essays on Early English Lexicographers Volume 1: Old English, ed. by Christine Franzen (Farnham: Ashgate, 2012), xv-lxxiii (p. xxxiv).
10. The Manuale scholarium; an original account of life in the mediaeval university at the Internet Archive
11. "Manuale Scholarium – a guide to student life in 15th century Germany". Manuscripts and More: Special Collections & Archives at the University of Liverpool Library. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
12. The colloquies of Erasmus at the Internet Archive
13. Gretser Greek Dialogues Ed. Walsh at the Internet Archive
14. "Fergus Walsh Projects". Fergus Walsh. 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
15. Kathēmerinēs homilias biblion: De formulis colloquiorum quotidianorum libellus. 1587. Retrieved 2026-01-15. Note: Printed book does not include author or publisher or location
16. "WorldCat record for Oikeiōn dialogōn biblion hellēnisti kai rōmaisti". WorldCat (Database record notes). OCLC . Retrieved 2026-01-15. Ascribed generally to Johannes Posselius the Younger; also considered to be the same as the work which Posselius the Elder wrote under the title: Kathēmerinēs homilias biblion. Cf. BM, Allg. Deut. Biog., Zedler, J.H. Grosses vollst. Univ.-Lex
17. "WorldCat record for [Oikeion dialogon biblion Ellenisti k[a]i Romaisti]". WorldCat (Database record notes). OCLC . Retrieved 2026-01-15. Ascribed generally to Johannes Posselius the Younger; also considered to be the same as the work which Posselius the Elder wrote under the title: Kathēmerinēs homilias biblion. Cf. BM, Allg. deut. Biog., Zedler, J.H. Grosses vollst. Univ.-Lex
18. FAMILIĀRIUM COLLOQUIUM GRÆCĒ ET LATĪNĒ LIBELLUS at the Internet Archive
19. Possel, Johann (1676). Oikeiōn dialogōn biblion Ellēnisi kai Rōmaisi, Familiarium colloquiorum libellus Graecè & Latinè, auctus & recognitus. Frankfurt: typis & impensis Balthasaris Christophori Wustii [Balthasar Christoph Wust]. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
20. Greek and English dialogues, for use in schools at the Internet Archive
21. Blackie, John Stuart (1871). Greek and English Dialogues, for Use in Schools and Colleges. London and New York: MacMillan & Co.
22. Mathurin Corderius's school-colloquies at the Internet Archive
23. Colloquia. English and Latin. Selections: Maturini Corderii Colloquia scholastica, anglo-latina, in varias clausulas distributa: observato utriusque linguae idiomate at the Internet Archive
24. Michael Meckler (2006). Classical Antiquity and the Politics of America: From George Washington to George W. Bush. Baylor University Press. p. 185. ISBN   978-1-932792-32-4.
25.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Corderius". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 138.
26. Maturinus, Corderius (1551). Disticha de moribus, nomine Catonis inscripta, cum latina et gallica interpretatione (Maturini Corderii). Epitome in singula fere disticha. Dicta sapientum, cum duplici quoque interpretatiuncula . Retrieved 2026-01-16.
27. The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge. Vol. V (First ed.). London: Charles Knight. 1848. p. 440.
28. 2011 September 9th, Francisco González Echeverría VI International Meeting for the History of Medicine, Barcelona. New Discoveries on the biography of Michael De Villeneuve (Michael Servetus) & New discoveries on the work of Michael De Villeneuve (Michael Servetus)
29. 2000 "Find of new editions of Bibles and of two 'lost' grammatical works of Michael Servetus," González Echeverría, Francisco Javier. Abstracts, 37th International Congress on the History of Medicine, September 10–15, 2000, Galveston, Texas, U.S.A., pp. 22-23.
30. Hoole, Charles (1659). Childrens talke, English and Latine, etc. Pueriles confabulatiunculæ Anglo Latinæ in varias clausulas distributæ, etc. London. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
31. "CONFABVLATIONES TYROnum literariorum ad amussim Colloquiorum Erasmi Roterodami, Authore Hermanno Schottennio Hesso. AB AVTHORE RECOGnitae, et auctae trigintae Conuiijs lepidissimis". Freiburger historische Bestände – digital. 1553. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
32. Colloquia Sive Confabulationes Tyronum Literatorum at the Internet Archive

Bibliography

• Ancient Rome portal
• Ancient Greece portal
• Languages portal
• Education portal

• Boucherie (1868). "Étude sur les Hermèneumata du Ms. 306 de la bibliothèque de l'École de Médecine de Montpellier". Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. 12 (1): 270–277. doi:10.3406/crai.1868.67473.

External Links

• Colloquia Long list of links to classical colloquia at The Latinum Institute of Ancient and Modern Languages Archived 21 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine
• 40 editions of various Latin dialogues and colloquia User-collected list of titles and links to Latin colloquia. Archived 20 March 2025 at the Wayback Machine