ABOUT
I'm Shriram Rajagopal, part of The Haverford School's Class of 2028. I'm passionate about classical history, philosophy, and the languages that were instrumental in carrying them forward.
Growing up in a Vaishnavite Hindu household, my father often shared intricate stories, practices, and ideas central to our traditions. These conversations introduced me to the sheer complexity of India's history and sparked a lifelong curiosity about the civilizations that shaped our world.
My initial curiosity expanded beyond India. As a student in elementary school, I would consistently find myself nose-deep in compilations of Greek and Roman myths. My early curiosity regarding these cultures, coupled with my heritage, drew me to the classical world even more. In seventh grade, I began studying Latin, a decision that deepened my interest in Greco-Roman civilization and gave me the linguistic tools to explore its legacy.
At the same time, my Ancient World History Course has challenged me to compare civilizations with more of an abstract lens. Rather than measuring the greatness of a civilization by its merit, gauge its greatness by analyzing the ideas it preserved, its values, philosophies, and words.
It is from this culmination of culture and language that Ex Verbis - Aeternitas Cogitationis was born. Ex Verbis attempts to explain how ancient words and dogmas shape our present. This is a Latin phrase: ex, a prepositional phrase meaning out of, and verbis, a noun literally translating to "words." Aeternitas Cognitationis translates to "an eternity of thought." This title highlights how the formation of languages allowed humans to express abstract and philosophical thoughts.
Through reflection on classical texts, etymological studies, historical occurrences, and philosophical comparisons, I aim to improve the world's understanding of these ancient cultures. By viewing the modern world through the lens of ancient civilizations like Rome, Greece, and India, I argue that ancient schools of thought still ring true in modern life. Whether it's finding derivatives from Latin words or comparing Roman civic virtue to the dharma in the Bhagavad Gita, I'm interested in how old words have such enduring messages.
If you share an interest in languages, philosophies, or the past's effect on the present, I invite you to read, reflect, and participate in the conversation.