MWF 1:00 Blegen 219 Fall 1999

Greek prose as it was written in the classical period in Athens and environs (that is, ancient Attica in the fifth and fourth centuries BC) is worthy of our serious attention for a great many reasons. First, this was the language of much of the greatest literary and intellectual matter to come down to us from antiquity: among historians, Thucydides and Xenophon; among philosophers, Plato and Aristotle; among orators, Lysias, Isocrates, Demosthenes; and Attic is also the basic language for the poetry of the great classical dramatists (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes). But the influence of Attic prose goes beyond that flowering that is sometimes called the Golden Age of Athens. This same prose, in a simplified form, became the basis of the later koinê and was the explicit model for later Greek writers, including the Church Fathers, as they sought to restore the classical beauty to their language. Thus, whether your ultimate aim is to read Plato and Sophocles, or the New Testament and Origen, or indeed Aristides and Eratosthenes, a thorough command of Attic prose is fundamental.

In this course, we will gain better command over Attic Greek by pursuing a two-pronged strategy. First, we will systematically work through a review of Attic forms and syntax, and in concert with that we will practice writing simple Greek to help build more active control over elements of the language. Secondly, we will practice reading Attic prose, by working through Plato's dialogue on the nature of love and friendship, which is called the Lysis.

An unusual feature of the course this year will be a somewhat broader excursion into the dialogues of Plato, which will be optional. As it happens, the Lysis is but one of a trio of dialogues in which Plato discusses the nature of love and friendship. I propose that, beginning in the second week, we get together weekly to read in translation and discuss these other dialogues, the Symposium and Phaedrus, both of which are famous, influential, and wonderful-- indeed splendid. This will have the salutary side-benefit that it will help prepare us  for active involvement in an exciting and extraordinary conference on Plato which the Classics and Philosophy departments are hosting in October. These extra discussions (time to be arranged) are strictly voluntary. I will offer some minor "extra credit" for those who attend regularly and actively, but non-attendance will not have any deleterious effect on your grade for the class.

Course goals:

• To gain better command over the elements of Attic prose, through systematic review, and practice in writing and reading.
• To read through a short dialogue of Plato, as exemplary of Attic prose, and as an elementary introduction to Platonic style, methodology, and thought.

• Plato's Lysis. Commentary by William H. Race. Bryn Mawr Commentary. 1983.
• A Lexicon abridged from Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford. (The "little Liddell".)

• Memorization, writing exercises, and/or reading assignments, which are to be prepared thoroughly prior to class, and which will form part of the in-class training.
• Quizzes (10 min.) roughly once a week, to check understanding of grammatical points, and to practice reading and composition.
• Two hour examinations. (But I reserve the right to give a third exam if it seems in your best interests.)
• A final project, to be designed in consultation with the instructor. Examples: a longer, free-form Greek composition, an essay on the Lysis, an exploration of some other Platonic dialogue (this last is particularly appropriate for those participating in the optional discussions).

• Class participation and performance, quizzes, composition exercises: 40%
• The lowest quiz score will be dropped from consideration in the final grade.
• Hour examinations (2): 35%
• Final project: 25% (brief oral presentation the final week of class; finished project due at the time scheduled for the final examination)

• Blegen 209, M 2:00 Th 11:00, by chance, & by appointment
• Telephone 556-1924, e-mail william.johnson@uc.edu
• URL: classics.uc.edu/johnson/greek301 (or follow the links from my Classics Department web page)

Perseus links (Perseus is a large-scale database with many texts and images relating to ancient Greece and Rome)
• Search for an English word in Plato (using Perseus)
• Link to Primary Text Index: English Translations
• Link to Look-Up Tool (data from art and archaeology catalogs, encyclopedia, browser, English index, and English-Greek word search in a simple standard interface)