Traditionally, what classical works would young men study to be considered well-versed in the Classical tradition of the Occident?

Are any of these works easy enough to be studied as an exercise to learn Latin?

Assuming one has to start from "square one", what should I do? I want to attain written and reading fluency in Latin within the next few years - i.e., be able to read Seneca without a dictionary, maybe understand the Mass w/o a missal, compose letters, etc.

I'd like to know the way Latin was traditionally taught and if there was a graded progression of the literature studied, etc.

The only text i have available at the moment is the Vulgate. I understand this is not the classical language though.

I can buy others if necessary, depending on the price.

Quote from: Vladimir

Traditionally, what classical works would young men study to be considered well-versed in the Classical tradition of the Occident?

Are any of these works easy enough to be studied as an exercise to learn Latin?

Assuming one has to start from "square one", what should I do? I want to attain written and reading fluency in Latin within the next few years - i.e., be able to read Seneca without a dictionary, maybe understand the Mass w/o a missal, compose letters, etc.

I'd like to know the way Latin was traditionally taught and if there was a graded progression of the literature studied, etc.

The only text i have available at the moment is the Vulgate. I understand this is not the classical language though.

I can buy others if necessary, depending on the price.

I'm sure you can find all the Latin texts you would ever need free online as they are mostly past copyright.

Is there anything else you would need?

I need to know what the look up. I really don't know where to start, as I am not versed or educated in Western classics. I bought a translation of some of Seneca's works and this has convinced me that the ancient Romans were as cultivated and as worthy of study as the ancient Chinese.

For example, in the past a student of Chinese would first study the Three Character Classic, then the Thousand Character Classic, then the Classic of Filial Piety, then progress to the Four Books and Five Classics.

What is the equivalent for a student of classical Latin?