After Mastronarde

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Andriko
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After Mastronarde

Post by Andriko »

I am upto chapter 30 of Mastonarde, and, work permitting, will hopefully finish it in the next 2 months, and am now wondering what to do afterwards.

Ideally I'd like to get to a point where I am reading with confidence, though suspect this will take a while (though I hope not too long, as I would like to start learning another language at some point!), and thus am not sure what to do next - should I just dive in and start tackling a text in all it's Hellenic glory, and hustle through as best I can, or would it be a good idea to work through another text book?

I have already completed most of Groton's book, which gave me a good grounding for Mastronarde, and so I could see the benefit of cementing what I have learnt. But which text book? I have the JACT books, but they don't seem ideal for autodidacts, and have heard good things about Athenaze, though am loathe to spend the amount of money it will cost. Or is working through another text book just a good way to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the real thing?

Incidentally, my goal with learning Greek was to not only be able to read the obivous, such as Plato and Homer, but also to start reading books on Hellenistic philosophy, and also more obscure things which simply don't exist in English (Artemidorus's 'Oneirokritica', for example), so ideally I think my next step should be something that facilitates this.

As always, thanks for the help!

A

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Constantinus Philo
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Constantinus Philo »

Just read Plato
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Dante
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Dante »

If you get through Mastronarde you dont need any more textbooks, just read things that have good commentaries.


markcmueller
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by markcmueller »

I'm in a similar position being 5 chapters from the end of Athenaze II.

I took a vacation from it and read Simon Pulleyn's Homer Odyssey I. I really enjoyed the book -- never lost and never bored. Unlike some editions which have a facing translation, Pulleyn's also has extensive notes -- which reflect recent research and are not primarily focused on the basic needs of a learner. I reviewed the book on Amazon. There is no preview, but there is a preview of Pulleyn's early book on the Iliad which is similar.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0198824203&ref=nb_sb_noss

Now I'm reading the beginning of Louise Pratt's Eros at the Banquet: Reviewing Greek with Plato's Symposium . The readings from the first third of the Symposium are simplified, but the rest of the readings are from the OCT. I'm finding the approach and the notes very helpful.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08061 ... UTF8&psc=1

RandyGibbons
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by RandyGibbons »

should I just dive in and start tackling a text in all it's Hellenic glory, and hustle through as best I can, ... is working through another text book just a good way to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the real thing?
You seem pretty self-confident as well as realistic, so I agree with Dante. Pick an author who in all his Hellenic glory you are especially enthusiastic about (or her, if you pick Sappho) and dive right in. If you tell us who that author might be, someone can probably point to an edition(s) with commentary.

Andriko
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Andriko »

RandyGibbons wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 3:06 pm
should I just dive in and start tackling a text in all it's Hellenic glory, and hustle through as best I can, ... is working through another text book just a good way to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the real thing?
You seem pretty self-confident as well as realistic, so I agree with Dante. Pick an author who in all his Hellenic glory you are especially enthusiastic about (or her, if you pick Sappho) and dive right in. If you tell us who that author might be, someone can probably point to an edition(s) with commentary.

Thanks all for the advice. You've all given me a bit more confidence and enthusiasm to just start going for it, and, if I may blow my own trumpet a little, I have been managing to read Xenephon's Anabasis more or less accuratley this week whilst at work, and when quickly glancing at most Attic texts, feel that I know most of the grammar and vocab well enough to make a stab if I was concentrating on it.

I already have Helm's edition of the Apology, which I have been grinding through on and off, though am always happy for more Plato recommendations (and thanks for the links, Bart)!

The Odyssey would be another that I am interested in reading, but suspect that I might be running before I can walk with Homeric verse!

Aside from that, if anyone knows any interesting and attainable editions of Pythagorean/Platonist/Hellenistic-Late-Antiquity Philosohpy, I would be very happy to hear.

Thanks again for the help, guys.

RandyGibbons
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by RandyGibbons »

On Pythagoras and the Presocratics, a good standard college textbook is Kirk-Raven-Schofield, often cited as "KRS". It has the Greek text and English translation of many of the fragments (there are only fragments) along with discussion.

Andriko
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Andriko »

Once again, thanks for all the help guys. Finally nearing the end of Mastronarde now (work got in the way!).

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to improve Greek composition? They are the exercises that I have struggle with the most, feel that being able to write in Greek would help me to understand it better, and aside from that, rather like the idea of being able to compose fluently in Greek.

I know textit has a few composition text books and keys up, which I will start looking at. I am also thinking of translating some things I like in English into Greek (short poems, parts of books etc), though not sure how helpful that would be.

Thanks again,

A

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Andriko wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:16 pm Once again, thanks for all the help guys. Finally nearing the end of Mastronarde now (work got in the way!).

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to improve Greek composition? They are the exercises that I have struggle with the most, feel that being able to write in Greek would help me to understand it better, and aside from that, rather like the idea of being able to compose fluently in Greek.

I know textit has a few composition text books and keys up, which I will start looking at. I am also thinking of translating some things I like in English into Greek (short poems, parts of books etc), though not sure how helpful that would be.

Thanks again,

A
North and HIllard is the long time classic (pardon), available for free here at Textkit, and lots of support for it. A number of people are currently using Dickey's new work:

https://tinyurl.com/y3dvxtzr

And finding it useful. I know of at least two online groups that are working on it right now.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Cuncta mortalia incerta...

Aetos
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Aetos »

Hi Barry,
I'm currently working through Dickey. Are you referring to the Dickey threads here on Textkit or to other forums?

Hylander
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Hylander »

I've worked through Dickey, I found it very useful and I recommend it highly.
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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Aetos wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2019 1:24 pm Hi Barry,
I'm currently working through Dickey. Are you referring to the Dickey threads here on Textkit or to other forums?
Yes. There's also a group that just started on B-Greek.
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Cuncta mortalia incerta...

Aetos
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Aetos »

Thanks!

Rvdalex
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Rvdalex »

Hi there

I’m both glad and impressed that you worked through Mastronarde. I used that book when I learned, and it was my good fortune to take a Euripides class with Mastronarde himself once upon a time.

After finishing, I would start with some easier writers to build some confidence and get a feel for what you’ll be dealing with. I recommend Xenophon and/or Homer. There’s a great student edition of selections from the Iliad by Benner. I’m pretty sure it’s free on Google books, but still easily available for purchase. I have an old student edition of Anabasis 1-4 that is good for Xenophon.

If you are comfortable with those, I would move up to Plato, although I would stick to the less philosophical stuff as the philosophy stuff is pretty hard, at least for me, without a teacher nearby. There’s a great student edition of the Apology edited by James Helm that is very helpful. Plato is great because he follows the Attic grammar etc. pretty strictly. I think those three should keep you busy for a while, and I think you’ll find reading Homer an absolute joy. His syntax is not terribly difficult, and it does not take a long time to get used to the peculiarities of epic.

Other texts to consider as you move up the chain: Herodotus (Barbour’s edition), something by Euripides (Hippolytus or Medea), Hesiod (somewhat similar to Homer).

Happy Reading

Andriko
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Re: After Mastronarde

Post by Andriko »

Thanks for the further help guys,

Dickey is on the list for the rest of the summer/ early Autumn. I have every intention of making a disgrace of myself on the composition forum, so you can hold yourselves partly to blame for encouraging me.

And thanks Rvdalex - I've been slowly working through Xenophon during my 'dull' day job, and Plato when I get the chance (I've decided to avoid Parmenides for now though - it was bearly comprehensible in English).

A

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