I’ve been trying to get in the habit of studying Greek more regularly again. I have been reading the Italian Athenaze and using the English version for the composition exercises. Feel free to be as thorough as possible in critiquing my composition. All corrections are welcome: syntax, idiom, spelling. Moreover, if you’re feeling over-ambitious, give your own alternate translation to mine. It’s helpful for understanding the structure of Ancient Greek to see the different (correct) ways that you can form a single sentence.
1β
English:
The farmer walks to the field.
The house is small.
Dicaeopolis is a farmer.
The man carries the big stone.
Dicaeopolis lifts the small stone.
Greek:
Ὁ αυτουργός πρὸς τὸν ἀγρὸν βαδίζει.
Ὁ οἶκος μικρός ἐστιν.
Ὁ Δικαιόπολις αὐτοργός ἐστιν.
Ὁ ἄνθροπος τὸν μέγαν λίθον φέρει.
Ὁ Δικαιόπολις τὸν μικρὸν λίθον αἴρει.
1γ
English:
Dicaeopolis does not always rejoice.
He always works in the field.
So he is often tired; for the work is long.
But he often does not shirk; for he loves his home.
Greek:
Ὁ Δικαίοπολις οὐκ ἀεὶ χαίρει.
Ἀεί ἐν τῶι ἀγρῶι πονεῖ.
Πολλάκις οὖν κάμνει, μακρὸς γὰρ ὁ πόνος.
Ἀλλ’ οὐκ ὀκνεῖ, τὸν γὰρ οἶκον φιλεῖ.
One remark and two questions. First, no, I don’t have some antiquarian fettish for iota superscripts; I just don’t know how to both have the subscript and the perispomenon. So how do I do it? I have the Greek polytonic keyboard on windows. Second, how do I make the Greek version of the semi-colon on the same keyboard? Thanks.
I just noticed that I accidently misaccentuated Dicaeopolis in line 1, also. But some of those errors have more to do with me trying to type them on a computer!
I never thought really to look and I just did now. In terms of approach from the couple exercises I’ve looked at the idea is the same. Athenaze will give you some Italian. “La casa e piccolo.” And then the student translates it into Greek. I have noticed, however, more composition exercises. In the English version of exercise 1a, it is only Greek to English. In the Italian, it also has an extra Italian to Greek.
Perhaps, if he has the book, our resident Italian could shed more light on this for us!
Although in principle the composition exercises in the book are the same, there are considerably more compositions exercises, the most significant being the inverse translation exercises. What really makes the Italian version much better than the English one is the sheer quantity of text offered (comprehensible input).
Moreover the Italian edition has not only one, but three workbooks just for volume I: The Μελετήματα Α, and the Quaderno di esercizi I and Quaderno di esercizi II. It is in these other workbooks where you’ll find a greater variety of composition exercises like Greek-to-Greek open questions . You may see a preview of all the books in the links I’ve posted. The only downside of the Italian editions is that there are no Answer’s keys.
If what you are looking is composition books I highly recommend these:
Thanks for the corrections. I can see that they’re mostly stupid mistakes. I have a question about two of your corrections. Ἐλθέ δεῦρο is not technically wrong, is it? Of course, I’ll keep in mind your suggestion as preferable. Second, how is oὐκ ἔστιν wrong? Athenaze indicates that the first syllable after an proclitic receives an accent. I am willing to be corrected, though.
Yeah, this section of the book is a little easy. I plan to sort of blitz through the earlier chapters for review, but I am positive that I’ll need help later on. I’d also love to get my hands on Gunther Zuntz’s textbook if I can every find it for an affordable price.
Sorry, with the verb forms. I’m a little rusty but know the forms, and so, when I am trying to speed through the exercises, I make silly mistakes.
I have a question. Right after Athenaze indicates the rule about proclitics we discussed above, nevertheless, it persists in using οὐκ εἰμί rather than οὐκ εἴμι. Is Athenaze wrong or am I missing something?
Also it should be Τί οὐ πονεῖ;, if you want to use the simpler form. I do have the Italian Athenaze. It looks like it has more readings, but I haven’t checked whether the exercises are just the same as the English version. By the way: La casa è piccola
Again, you were very quick and just wrote it in the wrong person.
It’s complicated, very complicated. There isn’t always a consensus, and even experienced accentuators (like myself… ) may stumble or not be entirely consistent. When the time is ripe, you can read Philomen Probert’s A New Short Guide to the Accentuation of Ancient Greek if you’re interested. It’s an interesting and important part of Greek, but not everyone will want to delve very deep into the subject.
Haha, I’ll just take your advice for now, and when I get further along, I’ll pick up the book. For the moment, I am satisfied with my level of accentuation, though I am no expert such as yourself
) may stumble or not be entirely consistent. When the time is ripe, you can read Philomen Probert’s A New Short Guide to the Accentuation of Ancient Greek if you’re interested. It’s an interesting and important part of Greek, but not everyone will want to delve very deep into the subject.