This course is an introduction to the ancient Greek language, the mode of communication that defines the literature and culture of ancient Greece. No previous knowledge of Greek is required. This course will start from the very basics of the Greek language (i.e., alphabet, parts of speech, inflection, pronunciation) and eventually build towards a strong command of Greek vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. The goal of introductory Greek is to build a solid foundation for reading actual ancient Greek texts. As such, the acquisition of those linguistic skills, elucidated and practiced through classroom instruction and examples in our textbook, will also be reinforced by the reading of select prose passages in Greek.

This course builds on the grammatical and syntactic knowledge base built in GREK 1111 or in previous iterations of GREK 2xxx through reading unaltered Greek texts and applying concepts and skills to the actual words of the ancients. Specific language skills that we will develop include recognizing syntactic patterns and larger narrative structures in connected passages of prose or poetry; reading ancient Greek at sight with confidence; reading with increased speed while remaining attentive to very close analysis of assigned passages; and understanding how to use lexica, commentaries, and other scholarly instruments in reading an edition of an ancient text.