From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Fri Jul 31 1998 - 16:04:27 EDT
Ed Gorham wrote:
>
> I sent this message earlier, but did not attach my name or e-mail adress.
> If this is repetitious, I apologize.
> I am coming from a Koine background, and have 2 questions. How have those
> of you who have also studied Koine exclusively benefitted from studying
> classical Greek ? What difficulties/hurdles should I be aware of if I
> embark on this? Why should a student of the NT study classical Greek in the
> first place?
> Secondly, I hear a lot about the two following grammars (titles/author
> spellings are approximate). One is Greek - An Intensive Course by Hanson
> and Quinn. The other is a two-volume work by G. Zuntz, edited by Stanley
> Porter, published by Sheffield. If you've used either or both, what did
> you like about them or dislike? I'd appreciate your input.
Ed,
The two-volume work by G. Zuntz, edited by Stanley Porter, published by
Sheffield, my contain some classical examples but it does not focus on the
Attic or Homeric dialects.
Although my primary focus is NT and LXX, I have done some work in the Iliad,
Oedipus Tyrannus, and Agamemnon. I found Homer quite difficult and didn't
pursue it very far but I have kept up my work in Attic tragedy on and off for
a number of years and find it worth while for several reasons.
I think that limiting oneself to NT and LXX Greek will cause one to have a
limited horizon. The little work I did in Homer helped me understand the
history of the Greek article and made me aware of the significant difference
between the Greek article and the English definite article.
Just it the last week or so (I have been working on Oedipus) I have run into
three items which are not common in NT Greek, postpositive prepositions,
future perfect verbs, and verbal adjectives. There are a number of features of
Greek that appear very infrequently in the NT and LXX and one is tempted to
consider these features odd or exceptional if one is unaware that they were
common in Attic.
Homer and Attic tragedy are perhaps not the best place to start studying
classical greek. I picked up a commentary on Agamemnon at the local library
several months ago and read the back cover which seemed to indicate that this
book was suitable for high school students (sixth form?) and undergraduates. I
brought it home and after a number of weeks I had managed to plow through
about 125 lines but then on the recommendation of a wise classics scholar I
decided to lay it aside. It was a very difficult text to translate. I will
probably go back to it later.
I am sure that Carl and others will be willing to suggest some good material
for a gentle introduction to Attic.
-- Clayton Stirling Bartholomew Three Tree Point P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062PostScript
If you do not already own Herbert Weir Smyth, Greek Grammar, you should obtain a copy.
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