I have taken a year of ancient greek in college and now have decided to study Plato on my own. I want to begin reading “The Apology”.
I am an American but I am very fluent in modern Greek having lived there several years. I also took 3 yrs of german in College.
What is the best way for learning Plato’s dialogues in Greek? I am 50 yrs old now and I think that my laungauge ability skills are not the same as when I was young. I read in Schlieman’s diary that he learned Greek by reading the greek and english at the same time over and over again! He mentions that he focused only on verb conjugations and noun declensions but not grammar! He found studying grammar was not necessary since his method taught him to read and be able to translate greek effectively! His greek writing skills were also superb! What is the best way for me to learn?
You can utilise your knowledge of modern Greek a bit.
For instance, although I know you’d rather you didn’t do any grammar, you can find out and read about the major differences between modern and ancient Greek in terms of syntax (mainly dative, infinitive and participle to keep in nice and general). Try reading some Koine stuff such as the Bible. If you’ve ever read anything in Katharevousa or pretty much anything written in the 19th century and before, it should be quite easy. If not, a text or two in Katharevousa or something of the kind can ease your way to the differences between AG and MG.
Do keep a grammar book handy but other than that I’d say that you can try the translation+original text approach.
Modern greek may help you, but if you are not careful it may mislead you.
Officialy I have had 2 years ancient greek, but I have found out I have forgotten nearly everything.
So I worked through First Greek Book by John Williams White and A First Greek Course by Sir William Smith. A bit hastily though. Now I am working with Greek Prose Composition, North and Hillard and because there is a key and I don’t have time except for 2 hours a day in the underground, there is nothing more I can do than to try to solve the exercises again and again. This is something similar to what Mr. Schliemann did. However if I would have time I would work with grammar and syntax books.
If I will achieve to work through the Greek Prose Composition, North and Hillard the following three are on my list.
First Greek Writer, Arthur Sidgwick
Introduction to Greek Prose Composition, Arthur Sidgwick
Lectures on Greek Prose Composition, Arthur Sidgwick
If I achieve that as well, Athena may help me, than I will go over to Plato.
What is best for you is a thing you must find out yourself.
You might want to check out Helm’s edition of Plato’s Apology. I haven’t used it personally, but the format has a lot to recommend itself, as it lists vocabulary and notes underneath the text, which saves a lot of time if your Greek is rusty.
Vocabulary. Many words I read have a different meaning. Or one meaning out of more has survived.
The most striking example is the word “παλτά”. At first I thought it was some kind of a coat, but I found it peculiar that Xenophon says that Cyrus took two παλτά and went between the two angry generals. I found it a very peculiar custom, one doesn’t go with a white flag between two quarreling men, so I looked the word up a dictionary. It stood “persian spears”.
Well generally it is not that bad but a slight difference here and there might be confusing.
Oh c’mon Aristoklh! I’m sure that it’s more of a problem for Greeks since the modern meaning is so firmly ensconced in their brains that they find difficulty in re-routing their mind than for anyone else. I didn’t have that problem though while studying ancient Greek. True, there are things like παλτά or like my very favourite παιδε?ω but they are rare and far in between and either etymology or context will help you out in these cases (not with παιδε?ω though )
παιδε?ω meant “to educate” and now means “to pester, to ill-treat, to give someone a rough time” with “εκπαιδε?ω” being used as “to educate”. You got to love how this one changed from one meaning to the other don’t you? I mean you have been through school Sorry for not explaining this before.
2.Not really no. Knowing one form of the Greek language can help you learn the other and that’s about it. Modern Greek is a simplified form of the Greek language in many matters so it is easier to learn but unless you are interested in it too there’s absolutely no reason to study it, especially if your goal is to learn ancient Greek (while if you already modern Greek it is really difficult as I see it to get confused while utilising it to learn ancient Greek, there are enough differences to make studying it as a tool for AG somewhat pointless)
How can it mislead anyone?
but they are rare and far in between and either etymology or context will help you out in these cases (not with παιδε?ω though 
)