Anis Haffar: In memory of B.A. Sam (1937 – 2015); Salvete discipuli; magno cum gadio te video
In her essay, “Mind as Passion,” the noted American teacher and activist - Susan Sontag (1933 – 2004), began with the following quote:
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“I cannot become modest; too many things burn in me … So I begin, everywhere at once …” That bold starter reminded me so much of Mr Sam, in the manner in which he introduced himself to the classes he taught at Mfantsipim: “I am B.A. Sam; B.A. I am here to teach you Latin, whether you like it or not.”
The first B.A. were his initials – Bernard Alfred; the second were the Bachelor of Arts, from University of Ghana, Legon. Never a dull moment with him, he exhibited a bounce in his gait as he emerged proudly into the room to begin the Latin lessons. He was noted also, for his greetings before a lesson: Salvete discipuli; magno cum gadio te video, to which we responded, Salve tu queque magister. [Mr Sam: “Greetings students. I’m very happy to see you.” Our response: “Greetings to you also, teacher.”]
I had arrived as a greenhorn at the Kwabotwe Hill, in September 1961, from St Peter’s Middle School, Kumasi. Armed humbly with some basic spoken and written abilities in Twi, Fanti, and English, not in my wildest dream did I expect to cross horns with irregular Latin conjugations and declensions. My first ever classics book, “Latin for Today, Book One” opened a whole new world with, Discipuli picturam spectate … [Pupils, look at the picture]. From the book I realised how a great many words in the English language were rooted in Latin.
Spreading the classics
Fresh out of the University of Ghana – at age 24 years - Mr Sam, had returned to his alma mater, Mfantsipim, to help spread the classics. With his eager guidance, we were to confront not only hardnosed ancient warriors like Hannibal, Ulysses, Achilles, Hector, Julius Caesar, Pompey and Cicero, but also the ancient writers - Homer and Plutarch. The Greek gods - Zeus and Olympus, and goddesses - Venus and Aphrodite were not left out.
To spur us on to do well in our terminal examinations, Mr Sam often invoked warlike conditionalities by which the great warriors incited their troops: Si tu fortiter pugnaveritis, praemium victoriam erit. [If you fight bravely, victory shall be your reward.]
His teaching technique was to whet our appetite with Greek and Roman stories before settling down to the Latin lessons proper. And sometimes, to be spicy, he mixed in a Latin song:
Ecce Caesar nunc triumphant
Qui subergit Gallias
Ecce turbam non reducit
Quae refert victoriam.
[The first two lines translate, “Behold Caesar now triumphant. He who conquered Gaul …”]
Method of teaching
His genius as a teacher of the classics was the ability to relive the ancient stories as if they happened to him, and inspire his students to feel the same way. For him, the past itself - as historical changes continued to accelerate - had become the most surreal of subjects, making it possible to see a new beauty and substance even in such vanishing languages as Latin and Greek.
His teaching mystique was to hold the stories like pearls on a narrative string. He invited us into a new world to capture our attention. Now lifted off the tarmac of scenes and events, he drew in the relevant Latin word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph for good measure.
Literary gems
From him, I learned some literary gems which I use sometimes: “A Pyrrhic victory”; “The Achilles heel”; “The Trojan horse”; “the Greeks bearing gifts”; “Crossing the Rubicon”; “The die is cast”; “Et tu, Brute?”, “To Hades with you”, and so on. Stories including The Odyssey, Helen of Troy, Orpheus in the Hades of Darkness, Hannibal crossing the Alps with an army of elephants were added to my repertoire.
Equally remarkable was his habit of finding good books as presents for students. One hard cover I recall was titled, “Boyhood, Youth, and Manhood.” As a house master of Pickard House, he inspected our finger nails, handkerchiefs, polished shoes, clean sheets and pillow cases on Saturday mornings. On such disciplinary occasions, he hid both his beaming smiles and hearty laughter. But soon after the inspections, we were after him, for our weekly allowance of one shilling to spend in Cape Coast town.
By the end of Form Three, I was quite enamored with Latin. I shared his pain when I opted out of Latin the first term of Form Four.
Everlasting memories
In the words of the Irish Poet, Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852):
“When time shall steal our years away
And steal our pleasures too,
The memory of the past will stay
And half our joys renew.”
Bless his heart, Mr Sam taught the classics with verve and commitment. And like his lively stories, he continues to live in my memory. Such teachers stole our hearts, and made Mfantsipim such a great school; he, especially, may be one of the last of the great Latin teachers in Ghana.
[For some of the Latin quotes in this tribute, I thank my form mates Kwasi Twum, a product of University of Cape Coast, and a former Science teacher at Achimota School; and Dr William Amanfu, President MOBA 66, formerly with United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, Rome, and now with the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghana, Legon.]
[Email: anishaffar@gmail.com]