So, how worthwhile is Koine for Attic? I’d like to read some Plutarch, but is that a good idea for someone learning Attic? Also, I saw this three week Koine immersion program in Rome this summer and I was wondering whether people thought this Koine program help with Attic?
http://poliskoine.com/site/?page_id=64
It is three weeks for 300euros. Of course lodging in Rome would be the main expense.
I think Attic is more worthwhile for Koine than the other way around. Koine relaxes the rules of Attic considerably, loses some of the nuance and becomes much more explicit in how it communicates an idea. For that reason I think it might end up introducing some ‘bad habits’ into your Attic grammar, although it probably wouldn’t be very noticeable. Especially if you are reading some of the better Koine writers.
However, Koine should be pretty easy reading for someone with a good knowledge of Attic. I would just pick up a good New Testament Greek grammar and give it a once over. That should help to keep the differences straight.
No. The opposite way round is quite true, though. Koiné and Attic Greek are not mutually intelligible. Koiné is by far more similar to Modern Greek than to Classical Greek. Thus, while due to the creation of several new words that have become part of our culture a fluent Attic speaker cannot understand M.G., a Koiné text is but a piece of cake to him, since most of the conjugations and of the inflections quite plainly faded away, due to Alexander’s great reform.
So, all in all, my advice is to learn Attic Greek instead and then to move to Koiné. This way, you’ll only have to study one language. Otherwise, you’ll have to learn two. Cheers.
I saw this three week Koine immersion program in Rome this summer and I was wondering whether people thought this Koine program help with Attic?
Yes, I think this seminar would be very helpful for you. Koine and Attic are in the final analysis the same language. I have read Rico’s book. It is both helpful and lots of fun. And Rome, of course, is a beautiful city. 
{ ναι. μαλιστα ωφελιμον τουτο εσται σοι. ἡ Κοινη και ἡ Αττικη εισιν ἡ αυτη γλωσσα, κατα με. ανεγνων το γεγραμμενον υπο του Ρικω βιβλιον. γελοιον και ωφελιμον. ἡ δε Ρωμη καλη πολις εστιν. }
(I’m writing in Greek because I’m hoping it will increase my reading fluency.)
Dear Markos
I fully agree with your views on Koine and Attic.
I am surprised because this simple text, grammatically, is entirely correct.
I also wonder if you have some knowledge of Modern Greek because your phrase « in the final analysis» -σε τελική ανάλυση- is a very common expression in Modern Greek.
And some brief comments:
The words κατά με must be written κατ΄εμέ. The word γελοίον means basically ridiculous. Ευτράπελον, τερπνόν or χαρίεν should be better. And the last εστίν could be omitted as we can guess it easily.
However, I would be very happy if I could read more such text from you.