Reading Greek
Text and Vocabulary

Thoroughly-revised edition of best-selling one-year introductory course in ancient Greek for students and adults.

9780521698511, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 July 2007

318 pages, 75 b/w illus. 3 maps
24.7 x 17.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.642 kg

'… a comprehensive guide to learning ancient Greek … Moreover, the book is accessible to independent learners and those on distance-learning courses.' The Journal of Classics Teaching

First published in 1978, Reading Greek has become a best-selling one-year introductory course in ancient Greek for students and adults. It combines the best of modern and traditional language-learning techniques and is used widely in schools, summer schools and universities across the world. It has also been translated into several foreign languages. This volume contains a narrative adapted entirely from ancient authors, including Herodotus, Euripides, Aristophanes and Demosthenes, in order to encourage students rapidly to develop their reading skills. Generous support is provided with vocabulary. At the same time, through the texts and numerous illustrations, students will receive a good introduction to Greek culture, and especially that of Classical Athens. The accompanying Grammar and Exercises volume provides full grammatical support together with numerous exercises at different levels, Greek-English and English-Greek vocabularies, a substantial reference grammar and language surveys.

Part I. Athens at Sea: Section 1. A-J. The insurance scam
Section 2. A-D. The glorious past
Section 3. A-E. Athens and Sparta
Part II. Moral Decay?: Section 4. A-D. Lawlessness in Athenian life
Section 5. A-D
Section 6. A-D. 'Socrates corrupts the young'
Section 7. A-H. Socrates and intellectual inquiry
Part III. Athens through the Comic Poet's Eyes: Section 8. A-C. Aristophanes' Birds and visions of Utopia
Section 9. A-J. Aristophanes' Wasps
Section 10. A-E. Aristophanes' Lysistrata
Section 11. A-C. Aristophanes' Akharnians
Part IV. Women in Athenian Society: Sections 12–14. The Prosecution of Neaira: Section 12. A-I. Neaira as slave
Section 13. A-I. Neaira as married woman
Section 14. A-F. Guarding a woman's purity
Section 15. A-C. Alkestis in Euripides' play
Part V. Athenian Views of Justice: Sections 16–17. Official and Private Justice: Section 16. A-H. Official justice, ships, state and individuals
Section 17. A-E. Private justice: trouble down at the farm
Section 18. A-E. How Zeus gave justice to men
Part VI. Gods, Fate and Man: Section 19. A-F. The story of Adrastos
Part VII. Homeric Hero and Heroine: Section 20. A-G. Odysseus and Nausikaa
A total Greek-English vocabulary of all words to be learnt.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB], Grammar & vocabulary [CJBG], Grammar, syntax & morphology [CFK]