Courses in Greek

This yearlong course prepares students to read Ancient Greek literature in its original form. The first semester and the first half of the second semester consist of readings and exercises from a textbook designed to help students build a working vocabulary and learn the extensive and subtle grammar of this language. Twice a week students translate a short piece of authentic Greek, appreciating its artistry and situating it in its cultural context. After spring break, the hard work of the preceding months is rewarded with the opportunity to read Plato's dialogue "Crito" or another text written in Attic prose. The course is taught in English and does not presuppose any knowledge either of Ancient Greek or of grammatical terminology. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to GREK 112Y for the spring semester. No prerequisite. Offered every year.

This yearlong course prepares students to read Ancient Greek literature in its original form. The first semester and the first half of the second semester consist of readings and exercises from a textbook designed to help students build a working vocabulary and learn the extensive and subtle grammar of this language. Twice a week, students translate a short piece of authentic Greek, appreciating its artistry and situating it in its cultural context. After spring break, the hard work of the preceding months is rewarded with the opportunity to read Plato's dialogue "Crito" or another text written in Attic prose. The course is taught in English and does not presuppose any knowledge either of Ancient Greek or of grammatical terminology. Prerequisite: GREK 111Y. Offered every year.

The goal of this course is to cultivate students' skills as readers of continuous Greek prose. To this end, students expand their vocabulary as well as review and refine their understanding of the morphology and syntax of Ancient Greek. Upon completing this course, students read Greek prose with greater precision, nuance and speed. Authors read with some regularity in this course include Herodotus and Lysias; however, the particular text or texts vary from year to year and may be complemented with a portion of a tragedy or comedy. Offered every fall.

It is a great pleasure to read Homer in Greek, and this course seeks to help students do so with accuracy and insight. Students acquire a working knowledge of Homer's vocabulary and syntax, and explore some of the key literary and historical questions that have occupied his readers. Offered every spring.

Students improve their skills in reading Greek and discuss scholarship on the author or authors being read that semester. Each semester the readings change, so that GREK 301 and 302 can be taken, to the student's advantage, several times. Students are encouraged to inform the instructor in advance if there is a particular genre, author or theme they would especially like to study. The list of authors taught in this course includes the lyric poets; the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes; and great prose stylists such as Plato and Thucydides, to name just a few. Offered every fall.

Students improve their skills in reading Greek and discuss scholarship on the author or authors being read that semester. Each semester the readings change, so that GREK 301 and 302 can be taken, to the student's advantage, several times. Students are encouraged to inform the instructor in advance if there is a particular genre, author or theme they would especially like to study. The list of authors taught in this course includes the lyric poets; the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes; and great prose stylists such as Plato and Thucydides, to name just a few. Offered every spring.

Individual study in Greek allows students to study texts not covered or minimally covered in existing courses. To be eligible for an individual study, a student must also concurrently enroll in the advanced Greek course offered during the semester in which the individual study is to take place. If this is impossible, the student must petition for an exemption in the proposal to the department. To enroll in an individual study, a student should meet with an appropriate faculty member for a preliminary discussion of the project. If the faculty member is willing to supervise the study, the student must submit a proposal by email to all members of the department on campus. Departmental approval is required for the individual study to proceed. If the proposal is approved, the student should take the initiative in designing the course and, in consultation with the supervisor, develop a syllabus. The student and supervisor should meet at least one hour each week. For an individual study worth 0.5 units, the workload must be equivalent, at minimum, to that encountered in an advanced Greek course. For individual studies worth 0.25 units, the work should be approximately half that encountered in such a course. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study by the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval.

This course offers independent study in Greek for senior candidates for honors. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to GREK 498Y for the spring semester. Permission of instructor and department chair required.