In this course you will learn first semester classical Greek. Ancient Greek was not the language spoken in fraternities, but the equivalent of English in the ancient Western world: the universal language in which the alphabet, democracy, science, philosophy, medicine, history-writing, and political science were invented, and the language of some of the greatest literature in the history of the world. Whether you are fired up by Greek myth, the epics of Homer, the tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides, the comedies of Aristophanes, the writings of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, or whether you want to read the New Testament in its original form, this language is for you. Greek opens up a much deeper understanding of English, since it lies at the basis of 20% of our vocabulary, and most of the terms used in science and medicine. In short, it's really cool.
Note: if you want to use this course to speak Greek in present-day Greece, it will help you a lot, but you should instead (or also) take our course in Modern Greek.
In this course, you will learn
- how to read and write an inflected language in a different alphabet
- how to study and learn other languages more easily, via a profound understanding of grammar and syntax
- how to improve your use of and understanding of English
- knowledge of an important body of texts and information about a society that is profoundly similar to ours, but profoundly different too
Taking Greek will really make you stand out from your peers and will pique the curiosity of (and impress) your future employers!
Course Requirements:
Regular quizzes and three hourly exams
Intended Audience:
Anyone with a motivation and interest can take the course. No prerequisites.
Class Format:
Four 50 min language classes per week taught by a caring and enthusiastic professor. Ample out of class support in case you have difficulties mastering the material.