Thrasymachus: Greek Through Reading (Greek Language)

Be warned. This book takes no prisoners, but it's magnificent in its thoroughness. There is so much practice of all the grammar (so lacking in other books) that it's inevitable that most of it will go in. One quibble is in the treatment of indirect speech, where the alternative use of the optative in historic sequence (common enough) is hidden away in a footnote. But if a student has banged all the way through Thras, either being maddened by or enjoying the puerile humour, the vast majority of Greek Grammar will have been absorbed, sufficient for Finals. Supplement this excellent grammar with Taylor's translation passages, and you'll get the best of both worlds.

It does what it says on the tin. Greek.

My O Level textbook in 1973. Utterly useless. Or maybe that was the teacher.

This was my GCSE textbook back in 2001, and I remember it fondly. It combines grammar lessons with short translation exercises which introduce Greek literature and culture. By the end of the book it is possible to read extracts from literature and philosophy texts. It went well beyond the language level required for GCSE, and, thanks to my teacher as well, I can recall a great deal nine years later. I found Thrasymachus to be an excellent introduction to Ancient Greek.Customers intending to teach themselves Greek without the help of a tutor might consider buying a grammar book as well, such as the Oxford Grammar of Classical Greek. Although grammar points are clearly explained in Thrasymachus, it is always wise to read another author's explanation.Customers whose interest in Greek is less serious might prefer Peter Jones's "Learn Ancient Greek". This has amusing cartoons and clear explanations of grammar. I used it to revise for my GCSE, and I found it very entertaining. However, the vocabulary required for the translation exercises does not build up as logically as in Thrasymachus: that is, a great deal of new vocabulary is introduced in each exercise, and this can be daunting.For those wishing to study Greek seriously, it is highly advisable to find a tutor. No textbook is perfect, and the support of a more experienced scholar is invaluable and can overcome even the most ill-conceived course book.