Mayor of London Boris Johnson speaks fluent Latin

Friday, July 25, 2008



I never knew that. I'd like to hear him and Berlusconi in a conversation. Here's an article today on him addressing a crowd in Latin

July 25 (Bloomberg) -- For the first time in many years, the ruler of London addressed the assembled populus in Latin. Boris Johnson, mayor of the U.K. capital, climbed onto the podium at the opening Wednesday evening of the British Museum's Hadrian exhibition and began spouting classical prose.
and:
It may be that this was the best Latin speech made by a British politician since the Romans departed in the fifth century. Mayor Johnson studied Greats -- a four-year program in classics -- at Oxford, and is evidently a master of the Latin language. MacGregor, thanking the Italian ambassador for his help, described him as ``the representative of the former colonial power.''

Then the mayor moved into English, saying, according to British Museum curators who are experts in deciphering ancient texts, what he had just said in Latin.
So, anybody have a video? His Wikipedia pages in neither English nor Latin mention that he knows the language. Just the following:

Boris Johnson (natus Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson die 19 Iunii 1964 in Urbe Novo Eboraco) est vir publicus Anglicus Factionis Conservativae et a mense Maii 2008 urbis Londinii praefectus.

Scholaris regalis fuit ad Collegium Etonense.

5 comments:

Antebi said...

Boris Johnson gave us a video interview for our International Festival of Latin and Greek, extracts very soon on-line we hope : http://www.festival-latin-grec.eu/?lg=en
Cleaver and wonderful !

Antebi said...

The interview of Boris Johnson IS now on line !
http://www.festival-latin-grec.eu/EN and click also on "Jobs and Carrers Corner"

Anonymous said...

I do wish the Wikipedia article/s would be more complete as to the number of (and which) languages he speaks

Antebi said...

The interview of Boris Johnson IS now on line !
http://www.festival-latin-grec.eu/EN and click also on "Jobs and Carrers Corner"

Antebi said...

Boris Johnson gave us a video interview for our International Festival of Latin and Greek, extracts very soon on-line we hope : http://www.festival-latin-grec.eu/?lg=en
Cleaver and wonderful !

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