Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

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AbuZenobia
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Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by AbuZenobia »

Greetings all,

I was hoping to ask you guys about what works one can use to begin to read Byzantine/Medieval Greek, specifically with the goal of reading chronicles, philosophical texts, and religious material -- specifically liturgical and dogmatic. I'm not sure what the nature of the Greek was in this period, I know that authors would try to emulate good classical Greek style but I figure there must've been those influenced by vernaculars. What is there in the way of textbooks and readers one could look at? I'll be looking at it after more experience with Attic and Koine Greek and was hoping to check out textbooks. Couldn't find any previous threads recommending books and resources either.

Thanks and best regards to everyone,

AbuZenobia

Hylander
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by Hylander »

As a starting point, you should definitely take a look at Greek: A History of the Language and its Speakers by Geoffrey Horrocks, which surveys the entire sweep of the history of Greek, from Mycenaean to modern, in the whole range of spoken and written registers.

https://www.amazon.com/Greek-History-La ... 664&sr=8-1
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Scribo
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by Scribo »

The kind of texts you are looking for probably require a highly Atticising style. Attic is good practice (obviously), but the Greek of the second sophistic (Lucian, Libanios etc) is perhaps even more so.

Baldwin's "An Anthology of Byzantine Poetry" is a useful if not always inspiring starting point.
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:

(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose

AbuZenobia
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by AbuZenobia »

Hylander wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:02 pm As a starting point, you should definitely take a look at Greek: A History of the Language and its Speakers by Geoffrey Horrocks, which surveys the entire sweep of the history of Greek, from Mycenaean to modern, in the whole range of spoken and written registers.
Thanks, I was skimming through a PDF and this seems like an excellent resource. I'll ask a question addressed to you both below.
Scribo wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:17 pm The kind of texts you are looking for probably require a highly Atticising style. Attic is good practice (obviously), but the Greek of the second sophistic (Lucian, Libanios etc) is perhaps even more so.

Baldwin's "An Anthology of Byzantine Poetry" is a useful if not always inspiring starting point.
Thanks. I know I have a lot more work to do with Attic, I'm using the Athenaze books in class and I'll get to the first few lessons from book 2 by the end of second semester. I'll finish the remainder of the book on my own in the summer, I perhaps might follow up with Hansen and Quinn or some other grammar for consolidation and learning things absent in Athenaze and use a reader with that. Byzantine Greek is at least a year away -- and that's if I'm being ambitious -- but I think it would be nice to at least look at what it's like.


Do you both, Scribo and Hylander, suppose if I read the History of Greek book and have a sufficient background in Attic and reading capability it might be worth it to just jump into Byzantine? Perhaps using the book you've recommended, Scribo -- I found a PDF of it and it seems fantastic.

Thank you and best regards,

AbuZenobia

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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by Hylander »

if I read the History of Greek book and have a sufficient background in Attic and reading capability it might be worth it to just jump into Byzantine?
I would suggest reading Horrocks' book to get an idea of the many varieties of medieval/Byzantine Greek. Some varieties attempt to hew more closely to Attic; others don't. It depends to a large extent on where your interests lie.

But I think learning Attic Greek would be your starting point.
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AbuZenobia
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by AbuZenobia »

Hylander wrote: Fri Nov 29, 2019 4:45 pm
if I read the History of Greek book and have a sufficient background in Attic and reading capability it might be worth it to just jump into Byzantine?
I would suggest reading Horrocks' book to get an idea of the many varieties of medieval/Byzantine Greek. Some varieties attempt to hew more closely to Attic; others don't. It depends to a large extent on where your interests lie.

But I think learning Attic Greek would be your starting point.
Thanks, no doubt you have to walk before you can run and completing my course this year is my primary goal. I'll look at it when the time comes then, thank you very much for the recommendation.

Best regards,

AbuZenobia

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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by Scribo »

Hylander has, as usual, put it wonderfully. That said sometimes it is very fun - and inspiring! - to try and run a little now and then before you have to. So why not?

You might find Beaton's "Medieval and Modern Greek" helpful too. As said above the Byzantines were consciously Atticising (a really bad term tbth) and this details more with the vernacular (as found in the various chronica and the akritic songs etc), but still sometimes illuminating.

Also, definitely try reaching out to actual Byzantologists. It's a small club and from my experience people in niche hobbies are often happy to help/proselytize.
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:

(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose

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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by Hylander »

If you want to consolidate after finishing Athenaze, you could do worse than working your way through Eleanor Dickey's Introduction to the Composition and Analysis of Greek Prose.

The Cambridge Grammar of Medieval and Early Modern Greek, which I just found on Amazon, is a large-scale reference work apparently targeted at your interests. It consists of four hardbound volumes, and it's very expensive. You might want to take a look at it if you have access to, and can find it in, a good reference library. It's probably not the sort of work you'd want to buy, though -- at least not unless and until you become a specialist in Byzantine Greek.

https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Gramma ... 138&sr=8-1
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by anphph »

Later on you'd do well not to neglect Nigel Wilson's "An Anthology of Byzantine Prose." It presupposes a fairly sound knowledge of Classical Greek and builds from there into some particular features of Medieval Greek, specifically prose which seems to be what you're looking for. An intermediate step could be BH Mclean's "Hellenistic and Biblical Greek". It is more down to basics than Wilson's, and presupposes a less advanced level of Greek.

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opoudjis
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Re: Getting Started in Medieval/Byzantine Greek

Post by opoudjis »

Hylander wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:16 am The Cambridge Grammar of Medieval and Early Modern Greek, which I just found on Amazon, is a large-scale reference work apparently targeted at your interests. It consists of four hardbound volumes, and it's very expensive. You might want to take a look at it if you have access to, and can find it in, a good reference library. It's probably not the sort of work you'd want to buy, though -- at least not unless and until you become a specialist in Byzantine Greek.
It is squarely about the vernacular, though, as represented since 1100 in non-learnèd texts—though it does make more of a concession about language registers than in the past.

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