The Via Latina method uses marginal drawings and direct Latin sentences to show that a Roman's entertainment value was measured by social connection. If you read the PDF carefully, you will notice that the exercises often ask the student to compare modern dinner parties to a Roman convivium .

The book’s full title translates to "The Latin Way: On the Language and Life of the Roman People." It is structured as a that follows a Roman family through a typical day, covering topics such as:

: Includes the stories of Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, and the nursing of Larentia.

Before discussing gladiators and dinner parties, the Via Latina text emphasizes a crucial philosophical concept: .