Operation LAPIS is a two-year game-based (practomimetic) introductory course in the Latin language and in Roman culture. It may be employed on its own, or as a supplement to other materials; programs and teachers may experiment with it as a supplement and then easily transition to using Operation LAPIS in place of a traditional textbook.

“You are standing, in the Italian sunshine, in a road. In the distance rises a mountain so perfectly-shaped that it must be a volcano. Near the road is a tree, and in the tree is a boy. Under the tree, you see a rough-looking man. The man looks up menacingly at the boy, and says, ‘Ubi est lapis?’”

Thus begins a two-year epic adventure to find and to interpret the LAPIS SAECULORUM. At the end of it, the operatives of Operation LAPIS–whether students playing in a traditional classroom or learners in cyberspace–will read Latin with fluency and understanding; much more importantly, they will know why their learning was important, and how they can use it to help save civilization and build their communities.