Just read Peter's thread "Greek Textbooks".
???????yu2 wo3 xin1 you3 qi1 qi1 yan1':)'PeterD wrote:Also, textkit.com is a godsend for us autodidacts -- BRAVO to William (but you may call him Annis), Benissimus, Raya, et al.
Actually, I've been hanging here for quite a while. Though I'm not a hard working autodidact, this place really teaches me a lot.
Around two years ago, I opened a large box left in the corner of grandma's home more than 20 years, expecting to find some old books. Luckily it didn't disappoint me.
Most of them were in Russian: Alexander Pushkin and various textbooks(what a pity,its beyond me to read them':(').The others, which are more lovely, were Species Plantarum, E.Johnson's Latin Words of Common English, Allen & Greenough, J.B.Allen's An elementary Latin Grammar and Teach Yourself Greek by Smith&Melluish(1947).
In the first half year of 2002 I almost went through Smith&Melluish slowly and happily while sometimes I felt frustrated. I used to wonder whether it would also give my grandfather such a fun as I enjoyed when he was a student. The portable pamphlet omits accents (because "Sappho and Plato did not need them") and doesn't intend to distinguish Classical and Koine strictly and was not thorough at all. However, as a 'child' before Classical Greek, it's the first time I was absorbed by this beautiful language. In addition to that, the authors have a sense of humor in words and the selected texts are quite curious and readable. To some extent, people could read it as a Book rather than a text book.
Before long a friend sent me Langenscheidt and Ancient Greek(another Teach Yourself,by Gavin Betts&Alan Henry), so I could often check the former but much less the latter.
Unfortunately it seems that once u are absent on business for 1-2 weeks it is very hard to restart it or, more exactly, it is not easy to resolve to spend so many hours on that again. So when first seeing the study groups, I was very happy but immediately feel bad because my time is limited, and I'm afraid I can hardly express myself clearly in English.
Anyhow, although I've almost forgotten those declensions, knowing a little Greek brings me reading experience much pleasure and benefits. It is said that Petrach didn't understand Greek but he treasured an original edition of Humer as holy thing(right?).
For me, reading Plato in Loeb, reciting
[size=134](η δε ἡ τελευτη, ὠ )εχεκρατες,του ἑταιρου ἡμιν ἑγενετο, ἁνδρος,ὡv ἡμεις φαιμεν ἀν, των τοτε ὡν ἐπειραθηεν ἀρισρου και ἀλλωv φρονιμω τατου και δικαιοτατου.[/size]
feels good.
After checking a lot URL from Greek Grammar
http://perswww.kuleuven.ac.be/~u0013314/greekg.htm,
I haven't found a very detailed and convenient pronunciation instruction resource (in English) for free. It's an old problem. After all, teachers can not be replaced by Data for ever. I always hope people could learn AG as a live language, taste the subtle feelings in meter in tone. Like reading some classical masterpieces in Chinese .
hoho, I talked too much and began to worry about grammar
. Maybe one day I could restart a self teaching program diligently. Anyhow being an amateur is something enjoyful.Thanks for all textkiters. Here is a great website.
p.s. Would u be so kind as to tell me when\how u began to become interested in Greece and Rome? Maybe we can talk about various books in this open board. That's interesting.
Probably my beginning is H.D.F.Kitto's The Greeks in high school...
Recently I skimmed over Plato and the Founding of the Academy: Based on a Letter from Plato, Newly Discovered by John Bremer , an interpretation of Plato with a novel narrative style, but the most lovely part is the story of "bookfinds" goes as a introduction. The lucky guy met Stephanus edition in the dust of an old bookstore in South Africa! In fact it didn't stimulate his appetite yet, other treasures waited for him
... Langenscheidt points towards Germany or some other German speaking country...
.
