Greetings from (another?) Australian

Textkit Community Open Board
1

Hi all,

I’m an undergraduate classics student in Australia.

For Greek, I am currently reading Thucydides Book 1 alongside the Hornblower commentary.

For Latin, I am reading the ad Lucilium epistulae morales, by Seneca, which are thoroughly enjoyable and come in easily digestible segments :slight_smile:

I’m using the OCT texts for both. This year I’m also hoping to tackle Thucydides Book 2, Plato’s Republic Book 1, and Virgil Book 12. My method (or should I say my aim) is to fully understand every sentence, memorise every new element of vocabulary I have not yet encountered, and learn by heart the texts themselves. (Therefore I am really slow)

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τίς οὖν σε λύσει?



I bought this book

http://www.amazon.com/Drosilla-Charikles-Byzantine-Niketas-Eugenianos/dp/086516536X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1419880355&sr=8-4&keywords=a+byzantine+novel

mostly to get a sense of what Byzantine Greek is. It’s a little difficult, but a good read.

My favorite Byzantine author is of course Gaza, available now in a fine giant print edition by Bedwere,

http://www.lulu.com/shop/theodorus-gaza-and-homer/iliad-with-paraphrase-of-theodorus-gaza-tome-i-and-ii/paperback/product-21007939.html

but Gaza’s Greek strikes me as more Koine/Classical than Byzantine.

Not that anyone asked, but as for me, λέλυκεν ἐμὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. :smiley:

3

Thanks for your reply!

Actually, ἠ ἐπιστήμη ἐμὲ λύσει :slight_smile:

Ι have, I think, been reading too many historical or biblical texts. Thanks for that link, I have never heard of that work before. I will put it on my reading list (although I probably won’t get to it until 2016 or 2017!).

I also really want to read the Alexiad as well as all the works of Procopius and the Apostolic Fathers. I’m not actually studying theology, but it is of course crucial to understanding the period-and besides, it’s a really juicy period of history! I believe it would also help to have a strong understanding of the Neo-Platonists (i.e to read Plotinus) since many of their ideas were to some degree popularised with the advent of Christianity.