Best Attic Greek Grammar?

Greek Learning Greek
1

Hi - I am currently working in Homeric Greek, but plan to jump into Attic Greek in the fall of 2007 after I have finished Pharr’s book. I am building a library of Attic Greek books, and I am thinking Greek Grammar by Herbert Weir Smyth and Gordon M. Messing (ISBN: 0674362500) is the way to go.

Does anyone think there is a better grammar out there that is still in print? I simply want to make sure I am investing in the right volume.

Thanks for any replies.

2

If you want an in-depth grammar, Smyth is the one to buy.

3

Thank you for the affirmation.

4

What modern languages do you read? There are excellent works in French and German, too.

5

Hi Annis. I am fairly proficient in German. Does there exist a good grammar in German, too? I’ll get that as well as the Smyth if so.

6

Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, aka “Kühner-Gerth” may be the most comprehensive treatment of Greek grammar. It doesn’t get much more in-depth than these volumes (plural!). But going from Pharr’s introductory book to a mammoth Greek grammar is a huge leap. KG is strictly for reference, but it’s probably the best reference out there.

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Didymus, thank you. And the size and depth of a work such as you describe is fine – I am looking to “grow into” some of the books I will be acquiring.

8

You can download Greek Grammar by Herbert Weir Smyth for free in the “Learn Ancient Greek” session. No need to pay for it.

9

Hello All

I have the Smyth Greek Grammar. It is great. Just as a quick aside, is there a latin grammar equivalent to the Smyth grammar?

Thanks in advance

Brian

10

There is also Krüger’s “Greek Syntax,” in 4 vols. (the first two Attic, the second two poetic and Herodotean syntax). The University of Michigan Press offers a recent translation (so-called) by Guy L. Cooper. It is actually quite an extension of Krüger’s work. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this translation at all. First, Cooper’s writing style is sometimes impossibly obscure. Second, the books are fairly expensive but are at the same time some of the worst-edited books I’ve ever seen — not little errors, but things like commas in the middle of words and mysterious lunacies in the Greek examples. I do have vols. 3 and 4 of the translation, and I use it regularly. But after seeing the carelessness that went into the production, I cannot bring myself to get the first two, which cost even more than the poetic volumes.

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There is also Gildersleeve’s “Syntax of Classical Greek”, a more specialized work than Smyth’s, but very good.

Cordially,

Paul

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Impossibly obscure? Please tell me it’s not as bad as the book description. :laughing: From amazon:

Guy L. Cooper III offers us the third volume of a revised and copiously expanded new edition of a recognized masterpiece of German syntactic analysis. In this and the {\field{*\fldinst HYPERLINK "> http://www.press.umich.edu/titles/11295.html"}{\fldrslt\pard\s1\sa100\sb100\plain\fs24\cs16\cf1\ul > fourth volume}}\plain\fs24\plain\fs24 , he translates K. W. Kr'fcger’s work on Herodotus and on the Greek poets from Homer through Aristophanes. \par\pard\s1\sa100\sb100\li0\plain\fs24 With the {\field{*\fldinst HYPERLINK "> http://www.press.umich.edu/titles/10845.html"}{\fldrslt\pard\s1\sa100\sb100\li0\plain\fs24\cs16\cf1\ul > first two volumes}}\plain\fs24\plain\fs24 of the set, \plain\fs24\i1{\field{*\fldinst HYPERLINK "> http://www.press.umich.edu/titles/10845.html"}{\fldrslt\pard\s1\sa100\sb100\li0\plain\fs24\i1\cs16\cf1\ul > Attic Greek Prose Syntax volumes I and II}}\plain\fs24\i1 ,\plain\fs24 the third addition will make an essential reference for libraries and personal collections alike. \par\pard\s1\sa100\sb100\li0\plain\fs24 Guy L. Cooper III is Professor Emeritus of Classics, University of North Carolina, Asheville. \par\pard}

I think with my one year of German, I might decipher the original faster…

Edit: Found a good review of the first two volumes: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/1999/1999-02-07.html#n1