Introduction to Greek, Fall 2008

Greek 115/SSNT 401

2:40 – 3:30 or 3:35 daily

Quad 342

Professor Margaret Cook

Quad 255A, phone 363-3103

Office hours 1-2 odd days; usually available from 10 to 11 AM daily for quick

questions, or by e-mail.

This course includes both School of Theology students whose primary goal is to read the New Testament, and undergraduates, some of whom want to read classical Greek texts. There is actually not much difference between the two kinds of Greek; mostly it’s that New Testament Greek tends to have rather simpler sentence structures (probably in part because it was aimed at less intellectual audiences), and there are a few changes in vocabulary. There are no forms or constructions in Athenaze which will not be found in the New Testament until the last chapter or two, and even they show up in Patristic Greek, so you should learn them anyway!

COURSE GOAL: A little after halfway through the second semester we will have finished both volumes of Athenaze and will start reading the Gospel of Luke. By the end of Greek 116/SSNT 402, you should be able to read New Testament Greek (with a dictionary, of course) fairly comfortably and feel secure about knowing exactly what the Greek means. You won’t need additional language instruction, but would still need direction in exegesis (which we will NOT do in this class!) If you pass the final exam of SSNT 402, the SOT treats that as having passed the language exam in Greek. Those students taking Greek for classical texts will be able to move on to 300-level Greek courses in classical authors, but would probably not be ready to read those texts on their own. New Testament readings will serve as a Òbridge courseÓ to classical texts because it tends to be somewhat easier in sentence structures, so you can read Òreal GreekÓ sooner and more comfortably. For many of you, the text and the ÒplotÓ of the New Testament will be somewhat familiar, which makes it even easier and more satisfying.

There will be homework every day and it’s important not to get behind, To make sure you keep up, there will be frequent quizzes. Vocabulary quizzes will usually be 10 points, forms quizzes will vary from 10 to 40 points, translation quizzes will vary from 25 to 40 points, and there will be various longer exams as we go along. I don’t believe in big Òmake it or break itÓ exams and prefer to avoid too much stress. Still, we need to move through the material at a fairly brisk pace to meet your needs to go on and read Greek.


Wed Aug 27         introduction

                            Homework*: learn to write and pronounce the Greek letters (Athenaze pp xii – xviii)

                            [* "Homework" designates work to do for the following class, and will sometimes be turned in for corrections]

Thur Aug 28         in class: practice reading Greek words aloud, including p xviii

                            Homework: copy the Greek paragraph on Athenaze p. xix

Fri Aug 29         Athenaze 1a (be prepared to translate in class, and read through the Grammar section pp. 4-6. (Always read through the

                            grammar section for each reading passage. Depending on your preferred learning style, read it either before or after tackling the translation.)

                            Homework: Exercise 1a

Mon Sept 1         NO CLASS (SOT has day off for Labor Day)

Tues Sept 2         vocabulary quiz: vocabulary for 1a; be prepared to translate Athenaze 1b in class

                            exercise 1g to be done in class if time permits

                            Homework: exercise 1b.

Wed Sept 3         vocabulary quiz for 1b

                            Prepare [ that is, BE prepared to read this in class] reading 2a and

                               learn the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd singular verb endings for læv and eÞmÛ

Thurs Sept 4         translation quiz: grammar from all chapter 1 (use of cases)

                            in class: exercises 2a and 2b. Begin 2b; Homework: exercise 2g

Fri Sept 5             vocabulary quiz: vocab from 2a; in class: finsh translating 2b, exercise 2z.

                            Homework: 2d, 2e

Mon Sept 8         Prepare 3a:, In class, exercises on pp 22-23 and begin reading 3a (we may not finish in class)

Tues Sept 9         translation quiz: grammar through ch. 2 (verb forms, adjectives)

                            in class: finish translating 3a, exercise 3b, Homework: exercise 3a

Wed Sept 10     vocab quiz: 3a prepare reading 3b; Homework: exercises 3g, 3d

Thurs Sept 11     vocab quiz: vocab in 3b

                            In class, finish reading 3b, exercises 3e, 3z and comprehension exercises on page 34

Fri Sept 12         translation quiz: grammar in 1-3; Prepare reading 4a; Homework: 4b, 4g

Mon Sept 15     vocabulary quiz for 4a; prepare reading 4b; Homework: Exercise 4k

Tues Sept 16     vocab quiz 4b; In class, Comprehension exercise, Ex. 4l

Wed Sept 17     prepare reading 5a; forms quiz: all forms of kalñw, =–diow

                            Homework: exercises 5b, 5g

Thurs Sept 18     vocab quiz for 5a; Forms quiz: all forms of m¡gaw, polæw

                            Prepare reading 5b; Homework: exercise 5d

Fri Sept 19         vocab quiz 5b; in class: exercises 5d, 5z, 5h, 5y

Mon Sept 22     EXAM: all vocabulary and grammar through chapter 5

Tues Sept 23     prepare reading 6a; Homework:     exercises 6e and 6z

Wed Sept 24     BENEDICTINE HERITAGE EVENTS, no class

Thurs Sept 25     vocab quiz 6a; in class, exercises 6g, 6d, 6h, 6y

Fri Sept 26         prepare reading 6b (we will not finish translating in class);Homework: exercise 6l, 6m

Mon Sept 29     finish reading 6b; in class: exercises 6n, 6j; Homework: exercise 6o

Tues Sept 30     vocabulary quiz 6b; Prepare reading 7a (we will not finish in class time)

Wed Oct 1     translation quiz: grammar and forms through 6; In class: finish reading 7a

                        Homework: exercises 7a, 7b

Thurs Oct 2     FREE DAY

Fri Oct 3         FREE DAY

Mon Oct 6     vocab quiz 7a; prepare 7b

                        Homework: exercise 7e

Tues Oct 7     vocab quiz 7b: in class exercise 7z, 7h, and comprehension exercise

Wed Oct 8     TRANSLATION QUIZ: GRAMMAR THROUGH ATHENAZE 7

                            Prepare reading 8a (we will not finish it in class)

Thurs Oct 9         vocab quiz 8a; prepare reading 8b; Homework: Exercise 8d

Fri Oct 10             vocab quiz 8b; in class: exercises 8e, 8z, 8h and if time permits, the comprehension exercise.

Mon Oct 13         forms quiz: third declension nouns; prepare reading 9a; Homework: exercise 9b, 9g

Tues Oct 14         vocab quiz 9a; in class: finish translating 9a, exercise 9d

Wed Oct 15         prepare: reading 9b

Thurs Oct 16     vocab quiz 9b: in class: finish translating 9b; Homework: exercise 9z, 9h

Fri Oct 17         Quiz: verb forms so far; in class: exercises 9y, preview of up-coming tenses

SOT students have October 20 – 24th off for "reading week" but are welcome to attend class. Undergraduates will not cover new material in Athenaze, but we will do a lot of work on participles, and will create a story which will be used as a quiz the following week. (I can’t just cancel an entire week for the undergraduates, but will cancel two days as a compromise.)

Mon Oct 20     bring to class at least three original sentences in Greek using participles.

                        In class, we will look at everyone’s sentences and correct them as needed.

Tues Oct 21     bring at least two new sentences using what you learned Monday.

                        In class, we will use the vocabulary we have so far to sketch out the plot of a story we will write in Greek.

Wed Oct 22     Small groups will take parts of the story and put them into Greek.

Thurs Oct 23 & Fri Oct 24 NO CLASS if we finish the story on Wednesday

Mon Oct 27     QUIZ: story with participles; prepare reading 10a; Homework: exercises 10b, 10g

Tues Oct 28     vocab quiz 10a; Prepare reading 10b; Homework: exercises 10e

Wed Oct 29     vocab quiz 10b: in class, exercises 10h, 10y, 10i; Homework: exercise 10k

Thurs Oct 30     translation quiz through 10; Prepare reading 11a; In class: exercise 10l

Fri Oct 31         vocab quiz 11a; Prepare reading 11b; Homework: Exercise 11d, 11e

Mon Nov 3     finish translating 11b; Homework: 11k, 11l

Tues Nov 4     vocab quiz 11b: in class 11m, 11n

Wed Nov 5     translation quiz through 11; prepare reading 12a; Homework: 12g

Thurs Nov 6     vocab quiz 12a; prepare reading 12b     Homework: 12e

Fri Nov 7         vocab quiz 12b; Prepare reading 13a; In class: NT reading p. 203. Exercise 12k

                        Homework: Exercise 12z, 12h

Mon Nov 10     vocab quiz 13a; in class exercise 12m; Prepare reading 13b; Homework: exercise 13g, 13d

Tues Nov 11     vocab quiz 13b; in class: exercise 13h, 13y, NT reading p. 231

Wed Nov 12     prepare reading 14a; Homework: exercise 14b

Thurs Nov 13     Quiz on grammar through 13; prepare reading 14b; Homework: exercise 14d

Fri Nov 14         vocab quiz 14a; NT reading p. 241, exercise 14z, Prepare NT reading p. 249

Mon Nov 17     vocab quiz 14b and 15a; prepare reading 15a; Homework: any 5 of 15b, and 5 of 15g

Tues Nov 18     prepare reading 15b, Vocab quiz 15b; Prepare NT reading p. 257; Homework: exercise 15z

Wed Nov 19     prepare reading 16a; Homework: exercise 16b

Thurs Nov 20     vocab quiz 16a; In class: some of exercise 16g; Prepare reading 16b

Fri Nov 21         vocab quiz 16b; finish reading 16b; NT reading p. 281

Mon Nov 26     NO CLASS (SOT HAS WHOLE WEEK OFF)

Tues Nov 27     NO CLASS (SOT HAS WHOLE WEEK OFF)

Wed Nov 28     THANKSGIVING BREAK

Thurs Nov 29   THANKSGIVING BREAK

Fri Nov 30         THANKSGIVING BREAK

Mon Dec 1         EXAM ON ALL GRAMMAR IN VOLUME I

Tues Dec 2         Prepare reading 17a (in second volume); Homework: exercise 17b, any 5 of 17g

Wed Dec 3         vocab quiz 17a, prepare 17b (will not finish in class time)

Thurs Dec 4         vocab quiz 17b; in class, finish translating 17b; Homework Exercise 17z and 17h

Fri Dec 5             prepare reading 18a; Homework: exercises 18b and 18g

Mon Dec 8         vocab quiz 18a; prepare reading 18b; Homework: exercises 18h and 18y

Tues Dec 9         vocab quiz 18b; Prepare reading 19a; Homework: exercise 19a

Wed Dec 10         vocab quiz 19a; Prepare reading 19b (will not finish in class)Homework: exercise 19g

Thurs Dec 11     finish reading 19b, exercises 19z

Fri Dec 12         review

WEDNESDAY Dec 17 1 – 3 PM Final Exam