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BIRKBECK University of London
Academic Year:
2016-17
Module Title:
Introduction to Ancient Greek
Module Code:
SSHC299S4-ACB
Subject Area:
History
Award:
Certificate of Higher Education
Class Venue:
Central London
Module taught by:
Dr Dimitra Kokini
Module Description
This is a course of Ancient Greek language for complete beginners. Teaching will be based
on a combination of grammar and translation, allowing students to understand the inner
workings of the language and providing them with the necessary tools to read and translate
simple passages. There will be new grammar points to be learned every week, as well as
translation practice and simple English into Greek composition.
Teaching will be following the structure of:
Reading Greek, Text and Vocabulary and Reading Greek, Grammar and
Exercises (Cambridge University Press, 2007) *NB: this is the latest edition*
Entry Requirements
This module is open to anyone with an interest and enthusiasm for the subject. However, all
modules are taught at university level, and students must be able to read, write and speak
English fluently to benefit from their studies.
Aims
The aim of the course is the introduce students to the basic principles of Classical Greek. It
provides a firm basis of grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary of the language,
through which the students will be able to read and translate into English simple passages of
Greek prose.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students will have gained sufficient knowledge of the language to
be able to approach and successfully translate adapted passages of Greek prose.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching is varied and interactive, including practice in reading and translating Greek in
each class, using texts in the textbook and, later, taken from actual Greek documents; with
some further practice on points of grammar and vocabulary. Students will be encouraged,
especially later in the course, to suggest Greek texts for use in class.
Course Content
This is a provisional schedule. Changes may occur depending on class progress.
Week 1: Introduction to Ancient Greek. The alphabet and pronunciation. Diphthongs, double
consonants, accents and breathings. Grammatical terms, links with English grammar,
endings, word order, terminology, translation techniques etc. Definite article.
Week 2: Text 1A+B (Reading Greek)
Agreement. First/second declension adjectives. Present indicative active verbs in –ω.
Week 3: Text 1C-D (Reading Greek)
Present imperative active verbs in –ω. Conjugation, tense, mood, voice, person and number.
Thematic and compound verbs.
The vocative.
Contract verbs: present indicative and imperative. Rules of contraction.
Week 4: Text 1E-F (Reading Greek)
Adverbs. Second declension masculine and neuter nouns. First/second declension
adjectives.
Week 5: Text 1G (Reading Greek)
Prepositions. Particles. Enclitics. μεν and δε.
Irregular verbs, present indicative. Complement. Omission of verb
(attributive/predicate position of the adjective). Adjectives as nouns. Particles.
Week 6: Text 2A-B (Reading Greek)
Middle verbs: present indicative and imperative.
Contract middle verbs: indicative and imperative.
First declension of nouns.
Week 7: Text 2C-D (Reading Greek)
Genitive case.
Prepositions with the accusative and the dative.
Personal pronoun.
Week 8: Text 3A-B (Reading Greek)
Third declension nouns (consonant stems).
Irregular third declension nouns ‘Zeus’ and ‘ship’.
Week 9: Text 3C-E (Reading Greek)
Irregular first/second declension adjectives ‘many’ and ‘great’.
Negatives.
Idioms.
Demonstratives.
Week 10
Third declension neuter nouns (consonant stems).
Third declension nouns (vowel stems).
‘to
be’
Third declension adjectives.
Week 11: Text 4A-B (Reading Greek)
Indefinite and interrogative pronoun.
Present participles active.
Week 12: Text 4C-D (Reading Greek)
Present participles middle and contract verbs.
Elision and crasis.
Week 13: Text 5A-B (Reading Greek)
The Imperfect indicative active and middle.
Week 14: Text 5C (Reading Greek)
The future indicative active and middle.
Week 15: Text 5D (Reading Greek)
Indefine/interrogative words.
Third declension noun ‘the king’.
Third declension nouns ‘the trireme’, ‘Pericles’, ‘mother’, ‘father’, ‘daughter’.
Week 16: Text 6A-B (Reading Greek)
The first aorist indicative active and middle.
Week 17: Text 6C-D (Reading Greek)
The second aorist indicative active and middle.
Indirect speech.
Past of ‘to be’, ‘to go’, ‘to know’.
Week 18: Text 7A-C (Reading Greek)
Present infinitive active and middle. Irregular infinitives. Verbs taking infinitive constructions.
Comparative and superlative adjectives.
Week 19: Text 7D-E (Reading Greek)
Aorist participles active and middle.
Aspect.
Week 20: Text 7F
Second Aorist participles active and middle.
Intensive pronoun/adjective
Verb “I am able”.
General Reading
J. Morwood, Oxford Grammar of Classical Greek (Oxford University Press, 2001)
N. Marinone, All the Greek Verbs (Duckworth, 1998)
J. Morwood, The Pocket Oxford Greek Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2000)
Coursework and assessment
Homework: weekly translations from Reading Greek.
Assessment: two pieces of translation homework to be handed to the class tutor (one in
December and one in March). Deadlines tbc.
Library and study skills resources
You may find the following web links helpful for your studies.
 For information on the resources available for history students through Birkbeck
College Library, including on-line books, reference works, journals, catalogues, and
search tools go to: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/subguides Please note for Certificate and
Diploma students some of the access schemes shown on these pages are only
available to degree students for further information please refer to Aubrey
Greenwood, History Subject Librarian.
 For guidance on study skills, including essay and report writing, research and
referencing, go to http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/subguides/studyskills
For specific guidance for historians and history students on getting the best out of the
internet go to http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/he/tutorial/history
Course Evaluation
During the course students will be asked to complete an evaluation form which gives the
opportunity to provide feedback on all aspects of their learning experience.
Further Information
For further information on issues such as student support, plagiarism and procedural
guidelines, please consult the History and Archaeology Student Handbook available on
Moodle: http://moodle.bbk.ac.uk/