Reviews
"Excellent. Makes the ancient Greek language 'come alive' to the modernstudent."--Liane Houghtalin, Randolph-Macon College, "We were especially attracted to the continuously developing story sequence, which teaches culture and history together with grammar and syntax. Our course is intensive, so we will do 26 chapters in 15 weeks."--Victor Udwin, University of Tulsa, "I am using these texts [Athenaze and the OLC] and the students love them. They like the idea of being able to read immediately....I will continue to use these publications in my courses."--Sr. M. Regina Pacis, OSF, Franciscan University of Steubenville, "I have taught Classical Greek from many other grammars in many different places, but Balme and Lowell's Athenaze is far and away the best of them all."--Howard Jackson, Pomona College, "The only Greek text I know that I can imagine being used successfully in high schools as well as in colleges....The Classics community owes Maurice Balme, Gilbert Lawall, and the Oxford University Press a large debt of gratitude for producing this very useful text."--The ClassicalOutlook, "This extensively revised and expanded version includes many of the features of the original, but is much more stylishly produced and a great deal easier to read....Well worth looking into."--JACT Review, "My students and I have both enjoyed using this text. The readings are fun, and the integration of reading, grammar, and cultural materials is remarkable, far above anything in any other elementary Greek or Latin text."--George Houston, University of North Carolina, "This extensively revised and expanded version includes many of thefeatures of the original, but is much more stylishly produced and a great dealeasier to read....Well worth looking into."--JACT Review, "I have taught Classical Greek from many other grammars in many differentplaces, but Balme and Lowell's Athenaze is far and away the best of themall."--Howard Jackson, Pomona College, "Excellent, comprehensive and well-supported work."--Bruce R. Marino, Valley Forege Christian College, "My students and I have both enjoyed using this text. The readings arefun, and the integration of reading, grammar, and cultural materials isremarkable, far above anything in any other elementary Greek or Latintext."--George Houston, University of North Carolina, "The only Greek text I know that I can imagine being used successfully inhigh schools as well as in colleges....The Classics community owes MauriceBalme, Gilbert Lawall, and the Oxford University Press a large debt of gratitudefor producing this very useful text."--The Classical Outlook, "Excellent. Makes the ancient Greek language 'come alive' to the modern student."--Liane Houghtalin, Randolph-Macon College, "I am using these texts [Athenaze and the OLC] and the students love them.They like the idea of being able to read immediately....I will continue to usethese publications in my courses."--Sr. M. Regina Pacis, OSF, FranciscanUniversity of Steubenville, "Excellent. The students enjoyed using it and became quite competentreaders. I think it will make the transition to actual texts much easier."--EvaStehle, University of Maryland, "Excellent. The students enjoyed using it and became quite competent readers. I think it will make the transition to actual texts much easier."--Eva Stehle, University of Maryland, "Excellent, comprehensive and well-supported work."--Bruce R. Marino,Valley Forege Christian College, "An enjoyable text to teach from. The presentation of grammar is logical. Students really can cope with a Greek text after this."--Robert W. Sawyer, Hiram College, "An enjoyable text to teach from. The presentation of grammar is logical.Students really can cope with a Greek text after this."--Robert W. Sawyer, HiramCollege, "We were especially attracted to the continuously developing storysequence, which teaches culture and history together with grammar and syntax.Our course is intensive, so we will do 26 chapters in 15 weeks."--Victor Udwin,University of Tulsa
Synopsis
Combining the best features of traditional and modern methods, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek provides a unique course of instruction that allows students to read connected Greek narrative right from the beginning and guides them to the point where they can begin reading complete classical texts. Ingeniously constructed to hold students' interest, the course begins with a fictional narrative about an Attic farmer's family placed in precise historical context (432 B.C.) that students can understand prior to formal grammatical explanation. The narrative is interwoven with tales from mythology and the Persian Wars, and gradually gives way to extracts from Herodotus, Plato, and Thucydides. In the last two chapters the head of the peasant family reappears in his original incarnation as Dicaeopolis in scenes from Aristophanes' Acharnians. Each chapter includes a full explanation of new vocabulary and grammar, and an essay on relevant aspects of ancient Greek culture and history. Exercises in translation from English to Greek are integrated throughout, including particularly useful sets on word-building, that help students to recognize new words when they encounter them, and in word study, which show the relationship between Greek words and their English derivatives, making the importance of Greek language to Western culture clear to the student. With its unique combination of features and lucid presentation of material, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek helps students learn to read Greek fluently, with an intelligent understanding based on a firm grasp of its cultural and historical context, while at the same time demanding high standards of linguistic precision., Combining the best features of traditional and modern methods, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek provides a unique course of instruction that allows students to read connected Greek narrative right from the beginning and guides them to the point where they can begin reading complete classical texts. Ingeniously constructed to hold students' interest, the course begins with a fictional narrative about an Attic farmer's family placed in precise historical context (432 B.C.) that students can understand prior to formal grammatical explanation. The narrative is interwoven with tales from mythology and the Persian Wars, and gradually gives way to extracts from Herodotus, Plato, and Thucydides. In the last two chapters the head of the peasant family reappears in his original incarnation as Dicaeopolis in scenes from Aristophanes' Acharnians . Each chapter includes a full explanation of new vocabulary and grammar, and an essay on relevant aspects of ancient Greek culture and history. Exercises in translation from English to Greek are integrated throughout, including particularly useful sets on word-building, that help students to recognize new words when they encounter them, and in word study, which show the relationship between Greek words and their English derivatives, making the importance of Greek language to Western culture clear to the student. With its unique combination of features and lucid presentation of material, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek helps students learn to read Greek fluently, with an intelligent understanding based on a firm grasp of its cultural and historical context, while at the same time demanding high standards of linguistic precision., With its unique combination of features and lucid presentation of material, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek helps students learn to read Greek fluently, with an intelligent understanding based on a firm grasp of its cultural and historical context, while at the same time demanding high standards of linguistic precision.
