classical greek introductory text book??

Greek Learning Greek
1

I’m new to this forum and have been teaching myself Greek for only a week! I’m wondering if there is a textbook similar to WHEELOCK’S LATIN? ie something aimed at an adult beginner or University course, preferably with small translation pieces from original classical texts.
I’ve done Latin on & off for 20 years; now read Ovid, Martial, Cicero etc. and have finally taken the plunge into Greek. Enjoying it immensely…

Any advice much appreciated,

Vivitur

2

There are plenty such textbooks. We are now in the last stage of preparation for a study of Homeric (Classical) Greek using Pharr’s Homeric Greek textbook. The book can be downloaded as a PDF from the textkit website or purchased from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com in a newer edition. If you learn Homeric Greek, you will have no problem transferring into other dialects and time periods. If you’re interested in studying along with us, just let me know.

Jason

3

If a grammar-based textbook is what you want, you’re in luck, as there are practically no textbooks for ancient Greek which do not use this approach! (You’ll see plenty of discussions in this forum of some of the less conventional approaches available, though.)

The best modern book of this type (both in terms of organization, pacing, etc) is probably Mastronarde’s Introduction to Attic Greek. There’s also an accompanying website with tutorials: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ancgreek/ancient_greek_start.html

If you want something free and downloadable, check out the books available here at textkit.

You will also want to read the thread stickied at the top of the forum on deciding which dialect to learn. I started with Attic, found the transition to Homeric wasn’t too difficult, but I know a number of people here have gone the other direction.