Ancient Greek Language Learning Reviews

Score: 8/10

pros: covers the lot of Greek grammar without shying away from tougher topics; inexpensive & commendable “bang for your buck”; well-picked examples with translations clearly illustrate the author’s explanations; exercises include readings in Attic Greek early on; later chapters explore other aspects of Ancient Greek like dual forms, poetic & Homeric Greek; introduction briefs you on the Greek alphabet, pronunciation, varieties of Greek & grammar terminology; regular & irregular verb tables, numerals & vocabulary in appendix; great index makes for easy searching provided you understand the grammatical terms used

cons: material gets dense fast, making progress slow at times; some of the finer points or exceptions about grammar & word use get lost in supplementary notes; presumes strong knowledge of grammar at points; exercises are simply Greek sentences and paragraphs to read (not “activities” of the kind you’ll find in other Teach Yourself language courses)

I have a long history with Teach Yourself Ancient Greek: it was with an earlier edition of this course that I set off to learn Greek at the age of thirteen. Now it’s time for me to take a second look, after a broader exposure to a wide range of language learning materials. If you’re new to Ancient Greek, how do these lessons stack up to other courses? Sure, the price tag is nice, but what – and how much – can you expect to learn?

First off, this course packs a lot into its 380+ pages. Every noun & adjective declension, verb tense/aspect/mood/voice and every other part of speech of Attic Greek is covered. Exceptional cases and notes about the complexities of language usage abound. New vocabulary appears at every turn, often in the context of example sentences or the “exercises”. The author takes pains to explain grammar and language use precisely and in detail.

That level of coverage in only 300 pages of lessons means that this book is dense and relies on your understanding of traditional grammar. You’ll find fancy terms, and tables with verb, noun & adjective paradigms. Explanations of grammar terms are helpful but spartan, and “exercises” plunge you right into the literary world of Ancient Athens. This is in no way a contemporary approach to language learning.

I scare-quoted “exercises” because they simply consist of Greek sentences & paragraphs pulled from ancient authors for you to read. Later chapters include longer extracts, particularly one late chapter in which you learn the basics of Homeric Greek and read selections from the Odyssey.

The appendix includes a review of Greek cardinal and ordinal numbers, regular, irregular & semi-regular (?) verbs, “answers” to the “exercises” (so, just translations of the Greek texts) and a substantial Greek-to-English vocabulary list. Between the index and table of contents, you’ll have ample help searching through the book, provided you understand the grammar terms.

This course comes recommended as a complete introduction to the Greek of Ancient Athens. It is one of the few beginner books (grammars) with a focus on Attic, with real readings from the period. In his explanations, Gavin Betts proves himself versed in the particulars of the language and its ancient writers. Any reservations I have are directed at the potentially overwhelmed. This course isn’t impossible for beginners – I myself had only begun studying linguistics (especially morphology) when I started in on Teach Yourself Ancient Greek. If you’re determined, methodical, and pace yourself, you’ll have little trouble with these lessons. Other learners may consider less imposing introductions to Biblical Greek (even if you’re destined for another dialect) such as Learn New Testament Greek.

Score: 6/10

pros: proposes Greek vocabulary lists full of words that form the basis of common English terms; actually spends time teaching the basics of the Greek behind the words; includes Ancient Greek alphabet (including accents & breathings) & transliterations of every term; considers first, second & third declension nouns, adjectives, prefixes & verbs; contains vocabulary exercises

cons: spends much more time with Latin than Greek, meaning you won’t end up with as much feel for structure, pronunciation & shape of Greek words here; if Greek is entirely new to you, this requires a lot of vocab memorization; if Ancient Greek isn’t new to you, much of this is review, apart from perhaps some new words to learn

Richard M. Krill’s Greek & Latin in English Today helps English speakers identify the classical roots that support many of the words in our language. He does this with hands-on training in the basics of word formation in the two languages. While the Latin section is similar to the Ancient Greek, I’ll focus on the Greek vocabulary (the first third of the book), since that section is relevant to this website.

The introduction gives an informative overview of the Indo-European language family (which includes Greek, Latin & English), explains borrowings, cognates & word relationships. It even prompts you to begin to understand how to use a dictionary to identify etymologies.

The Greek section presents the alphabet alongside the Semitic characters it evolved from, and explains pronunciation. It ties in the shape of Ancient Greek words to transliteration, while not shying away from tougher points like accents, diphthongs and the h-sound. After this, the rest of the section explains Ancient Greek word forms clearly with numerous examples organized by grammar topic – first, second, third declension nouns, adjectives, colors & numbers, prefixes, verbs and plural forms. All explanations are accompanied by vocabulary lists and exercises. Vocabularies list Ancient Greek words in Greek and transliteration next to the English translation and a sample English word containing that Greek root. A general Ancient Greek vocabulary index on page 71 also allows you to look up words in Greek and reference then in the text.

Greek and Latin in English Today doesn’t teach anything specific about Ancient Greek grammar, sentence structure or language use, but it’s an easy recommendation if you’d like to understand Classical Greek vocabulary through words already found in English.

Score: 3/10

pros: casual readers may appreciate the nontechnical presentation of Ancient Greek words/roots & the approachable explanations that list example words; clarifies potentially confused roots, antonyms & derivational affixes (“combining forms”) relevant to each root; a way to expand your English vocabulary

cons: explains more about English than the underlying classical languages; “definitions” (really more of explanations) can mislead with respect to the original language; no help in pronouncing or deepening understanding of structure of roots; picks & chooses which roots to include, so many Greek words not represented

Apart from a very short introduction to how Latin and Greek words entered English, the entirety of NTC Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins presents an alphabetized selection of ancient roots in simplified transliteration, along with paragraphs that give examples of English words containing each root. These explanations focus on the meaning of roots as found in modern words, and they take a casual tone. For example:

“ERGON, work: ERG, URG
An ERG is a unit of work or energy. Hence, ERGophobia is an aversion or a fear of work. Hey, it’s past get-up time; are you an ergophobic or something? ERGomania is a compulsive and excessive addiction to work, often as a symptom of a mental disorder” (from page 86).

The dictionary also lists roots that may be potentially confused with this root (urgency < Latin urgere), combining forms (all- ‘other’ as in allergen), and antonyms.

The list is good enough to learn from and expand your knowledge of English vocabulary. Also, it’s backed up by an English word-Classical root lookup index in the back, which allows you to search for the Ancient Greek root of a modern word. Still, I have a hard time recommending to anyone reading this site, since we’re learning Ancient Greek here. To learn more about Greek roots through English vocabulary, Krill’s Greek and Latin in English Today presents a much deeper, hands-on alternative to this work.

Score: 5/10

pros: interesting account of the academicians that discovered the oldest written Greek, and how; limited examples show some of the specifics of deciphering & reading Mycenaean Greek & its relation to Classical Greek

cons: as a book, it tells a moderately interesting story (geared especially to linguist/archaeologist/classicist types), but as a language resource, it’s stingy

John Chadwick’s The Decipherment of Linear B recounts the informative story of how twentieth century scholars came to re-read the oldest written Greek texts in the Mycenaean dialect, which predates Homer by more than four centuries. Along the way, it shares information about the history of the Mycenaeans on the mainland & Crete, their artifacts, especially from Knossos. Crucially for this site, the book contains scattered explanations on the structure of the language and the writing system, including an appendix of Mycenaean tablets in transcription.

I don’t recommend The Decipherment of Linear B as a general language resource for Mycenaean Greek learners (how many of you are there?). If, like me, you’re interested in historical forms of the language like Mycenaean & Proto-Hellenic, this book will provide a bit of background for your studies.

Score: 7/10

pros: covers a huge range of Greek language use, structure, vocabulary & reading, all relevant to the NT, without rote memorization; really a series of well-organized notes that build on each other to allow you to clearly understand the text of Acts; explains & defines grammar & linguistic terms when used; great vocab & index references; avoids the pitfalls of modular (explanation-example-exercises-readings-vocabulary lists) courses

cons: recommended for a class led by a knowledgeable teacher who can answer questions (unless you’re a particularly strong self-guided learner); formatting is clear, but looks dated & typewritten; uses technical terms at every turn; recommended that you buy both books to succeed with this method; not widely available

In his Handbook of New Testament Greek: An Inductive Approach Based on the Greek Text of Acts, La Sor sets out a unique, challenging course for new students of the Ancient Greek language. The book is unique because it does not teach through modular lessons. Instead, the course is a series of notes composed in the form of short paragraphs that help you read through the text of the Book of Acts in the Greek Bible.

The organization of these notes is based on language use topics tied to Acts in the first book, then based on linguistic/grammar topics (phonology, morphology & syntax) in the second book. These books do explain and define new terms, but they also expect you to pick up technical concepts quickly and build on them. On top of this consistent reliance on grammatical and linguistic terms, the writer’s knowledge of the breadth of the Hellenic world, coupled with Semitic influences on the Greek New Testament, will sometimes manifest itself in the form of information that overwhelms less academic students.

Each note is short, to the point, somewhat technical, and, in extreme cases, not relevant to the preceding or following note. Examples include short quotes, phrases/words cited & paradigm tables. Examples are always brief, but occur regularly throughout the notes. Not all the Greek comes from Acts – the author cites the text of other New Testament books as well.

The second book focuses on grammar, pronunciation and sentence structure, explaining those using the same notes-based format. In the second book, there’s usually more flow between paragraphs, but the use of challenging terminology . Fortunately, if you can hang on to the terminology, the author manages to clearly explain the whole of beginner-intermediate Ancient Greek grammar with more clarity and precision than you’ll find in other lessons, leaving you with a productive base for evaluating any Greek word or sentence in the future without the need to rely on irregular tables or “because that’s the way it is”-type explanations.

This second book includes some extras, too, such as vocabulary word groups by lesson, a frequency vocabulary list, and a lookup index that references individual paragraph numbers. There’s even a cross-reference table that helps students compare the same entry in separate concordances and lexicons.

Its learn-as-you-read approach makes the Handbook of New Testament Greek ideal for dedicated and thoughtful students who can learn various pieces of the language while reading through the book and through Acts. The results will be considerably weaker if you can’t make it through the whole course. Even stopping halfway, which entails a lot of study, just won’t do. Recommended with minor reservations.

Score: 7/10

pros: includes nearly all Ancient Greek words beginners & intermediate learners are likely to encounter when you read Greek; formatting & organization are acceptable; actually pocket sized!; affordable

cons: no English-Greek translation section; the word lists are bare-bones, giving a bunch of translations without any aid in choosing between them

The Langenscheidt Pocket Classical Greek Dictionary is a reduced lexicon of the language that helps learners translate from Ancient Greek to English. It packs all of the words found in any text the average beginning student will read, including “the New Testament and the classical Greek authors” (as stated on the back cover), but it makes a few sacrifices to do that.

The formatting and organization are as expected – a list of Greek words in alphabetical order with translations to the right of those words. Ancient Greek entries are given in bold, and the first and last words on each page appear at the top of the page (on either side of the page number) for easy reference.

Ancient Greek nouns are listed in the nominative, with the genitive singular ending and article, as is custom. The dictionary only lists the first person singular of both regular and irregular verbs, with no information about their principal parts or irregular forms. The part of speech of invariable words is abbreviated (adv. for adverb, conj. for conjunction, etc.). For the most part, you’ll need to have some grammar under your belt or a handy grammatical reference to make sense out of these entries.

Apart from long/short marks on vowels, the dictionary offers almost no pronunciation help, as is also custom. Try the pronunciation guide at the beginning of your favorite course book. If you’re up for it, Vox Graeca provides very thorough linguistic overview of phonology of Ancient Greek.

Like other Greek lexicons on the market, this one just lists a few translations for each terms, without any key words or meaning hints to help students select the best translation. There are no examples of words in context, nor will you find clues to the dialect or use of words (the author, region, time period, level of formality). Most dictionaries that deal with major languages include this kind of helpful information. Otherwise, the search for the right term can be confusing – you are forced to guess.

If you’re willing to forgo the small size and low price, you might as well make the jump to Liddel-Scott’s Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. You’ll find far more words, examples pulled straight from ancient writers, and loads more information about grammar and word choice.

If, however, you’re fine with a longish but bare-bones word list, and you’re looking for a small, on-the-go lexicon, Langenscheidt’s Classical Greek Pocket Dictionary comes adequately recommended. It has no extras, and, like all Ancient Greek dictionaries besides the Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary, can’t help you translate between English & Ancient Greek.

Score: 9/10

pros: massive coverage of every word found in the most read Classical Greek authors; thorough definitions indicate when, how & by whom words are used; entries contain information on related roots & sometimes Latin translations (great for classicists); indicates grammatical information such as principal parts of verbs, & when meaning changes for different grammatical forms of the same word; gives vowel length, accents, & dialect differences; the English translations are clear & explore the various meanings of each Greek word

cons: no English-Ancient Greek section; examples are more useful for knowing how certain Greek writers used a word/phrase than how you might “use it in a sentence”; missing certain vocabulary from later classical Greek works (but plenty sufficient for Homeric, Doric, Attic Greek and the Greek New Testament); older text & formatting makes some definitions slightly cumbersome or dated for modern readers

Liddell & Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon has long stood as the definitive dictionary for English speakers looking up Ancient Greek words. For most students, this is the recommended go-to reference you’ll save your dollars to buy. For the most part, that’s because the lexicon is thorough, clear and extremely useful, despite its age – the first edition dates to 1889. Sometimes, though, you’ll realize that this tome owes its longtime position as the best available dictionary to the outmoded nature of Ancient Greek dictionaries in general.

The formatting of entries is readable – pages are laid out in two columns, with the first and last term on each page given at the top of the page for quick reference. Ancient Greek entries are given in bold text, and their definitions are slightly indented.

Each entry includes grammatical information followed by English translations of the term. Often, extra information clarifies the translation or use of the term. The first portion of the definition for the entry ???? (“dêta”), for instance, reads: “Adv., more emphatic form of ??, certainly, to be sure, of course“.

The dictionary takes time to explore the various ways each word is used, referring to quotations from individual works that range from Homer to Plato to the New Testament. The fact that nearly every entry lists who used the word or in which dialect of Greek it was found, coupled with the wide coverage of its word lists, adds a layer of depth absent from smaller, cheaper dictionaries.

This lexicon has no supplemental material like verb tables or a pronunciation guide. It supplies grammatical material for specific entries as needed, and focuses all its pages on its robust word list.

Comparing it to modern dictionaries, especially the best dictionaries for modern languages, students will rightfully complain that it lacks extra learner-friendly reference materials (grammar, pronunciation & “language in action” sections). Also worth noting is that the entries are geared towards helping you read words in context much more than helping you use words in context. That’s not all – the publishers of Ancient Greek lexicons face a bigger complaint, and a tougher challenge – to build and incorporate an equally robust English-Classical Greek section, which would help learners translate into Ancient Greek. Moving forward, we can only hope someone has the foresight to fill this clear gap in the language learning market.

Despite its age, and precisely due to its exhaustive depth and clarity, Liddell-Scott’s Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon is my current favorite recommendation to anyone searching for a solid Ancient Greek lexicon that will last throughout your years of learning Greek.

Score: 6/10

pros: well formatted & organized for ease of search; covers a good number of Greek words; on par with other Classical Greek dictionaries; first to offer English-Greek translations!; a few extras including a brief irregular verb table & even briefer pronunciation guide

cons: the English-Greek section is invaluable for learners, but it’s too meager at this point; word lists/translations only list a few translations without examples or help choosing between them (like any other Greek lexicon at this point)

The Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary presents students with English translations of tens of thousands of Ancient Greek words, along with a few extras. Uniquely, it also includes an English-to-Greek section, a feature Ancient Greek dictionaries have lagged behind even Latin dictionaries in implementing.

The Greek-English section is nothing new, as it shares its source word list with Langenscheidt Classical Greek Dictionary, although the formatting here is attractive. Greek terms are presented in bold, the letter of the alphabet is written in a tab on the side of each page, and the first and last word on the page appear at the top of each page. All of this makes the dictionary easy to search.

Ancient Greek nouns are listed in the nominative, with the genitive singular ending and article, as is custom. Basic irregular verbs are marked (you can look up their principal parts in a table at the end of the dictionary). Regular verbs are only given in the first person singular (present indicative active… whew!), but their other principal parts are hidden from you.

As with other lexicons/dictionaries, a relative few English translations are listed for most words. When meanings of Classical Greek words vary, no extra info is included to help you choose the best translation. Additionally, entries aren’t expanded or clarified with examples, sample sentences or phrases in which they routinely occur, and any indications as to dialects, registers or nuances (slang, formal, jargon, social situations, etc.). The best dictionaries for more commonly taught modern languages routinely include all of this helpful information.

Where this dictionary stands out is its first-of-its-kind (and, as far as I know, only-of-its-kind) English-Greek translations. This section allow students to search for a word in English and find its Ancient Greek translation, which is ideal if you translate between English and Greek (or if you’re curious how to say something in Ancient Greek). Language learners are used to having this kind of tool and it’s been a long time coming for Greek. Unfortunately, as the fates would have it, the section is far too thin and cursory at this point.

I’ll join the chorus and praise Liddel-Scott’s An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon against this one. That dictionary includes far more terms, examples from ancient authors for many terms, and far more grammatical information than other dictionaries, including this one.

As dictionaries go, this smallish volume (which won’t fit in my pocket, by the way) is on par with other Classical Greek dictionaries. Your textbook or lesson course will likely have a better pronunciation guide and verb tables, so the extras don’t amount to much. The main potential draw is the diminutive English-Greek section. Hopefully, Oxford or someone else will take that, run with it, and expand it to the English-speaking Ancient Greek learner’s great benefit.

Score: 9/10

pros: a great reference for getting into the nitty-gritty of Ancient Greek pronunciation; explains what can be known about Ancient Greek pronunciation through linguistic/phonological analysis; proposes a way for dedicated learners to understand what Greek sounded like; discusses in detail many of the minutiae that pronunciation guides & lesson courses leave out

cons: requires a solid head for linguistics, specifically phonology, including IPA & historical understanding of Indo-European sound patterns; technical & explanatory – expect an on-the-shelf reference rather than a lesson course

In Vox Graeca (Latin for “The Greek Voice”, in case you’re not a dual-language classicist), Sydney Allen presents a thorough and technical linguistic treatment of Ancient Greek pronunciation. In fact, since this is a linguistics text, I should say more properly that it deals with the phonology of Ancient Greek and its dialects. Like Palmer’s The Greek Language, which I just reviewed, this volume takes on the entire breadth of historical Ancient Greek, from Mycenaean down to the late Koine.

The book analyzes a variety of forms of Greek spanning a long period and constrains this analysis through sections that deal with common phonetic topics. It starts with an overview of consonants, vowels and IPA, then dives into the specifics of pronunciation (plosives, nasals, the aspirate, simple vowels, diphthongs, length and accent). The body of the book amounts to 140 pages of close examination of the above topics, nearly always leaving you satisfied that there’s some way of applying this information to pronounce the Greek language.

The first appendix discusses the history of pronouncing Greek in England and the history of Greek pronunciation in Greece itself from the Middle Ages to the present. Other appendices list Greek quotations from grammarians and writers, the pronunciation and history of the names of the letters of the Greek alphabet, an index of Greek grammar terms and a light pronunciation guide with recommended pronunciation (including references to page numbers for further discussion).

Quite unfortunate is the lack of an index, which makes the book less usable and searchable as a go-to resource.

As a reference resource for historical linguists, Greek phonologists and determined classicists, Allen’s Vox Graeca opens up the world of Greek phonology and champions a way of determining how to pronounce, read and speak Ancient Greek aloud. Some students will certainly find it technical, but learners looking to fill their reference shelf with a deep, handy guide to Greek pronunciation can mine this text for years to come. Once you grow into it, Vox Graeca is one of those books that will grow with you.

Score: 8/10

pros: a strong linguistic overview of the whole of Ancient Greek; wide and deep coverage of the major forms of the Ancient Greek language, from prehistory to the koine; surveys phonology, lexis & morphology of a variety of dialects & ancient authors; gives derivations of words & structures from Proto-Indo-European & older Greek/Proto-Hellenic

cons: technical & dense for the average student; too wordy to be used as lessons or read straight through (also since it lacks focus on any single form of the language); historical Indo-European linguistics has newer, better insights and more updated reconstructions that make the data found here look a bit dated

Palmer’s The Greek Language summarizes the sounds, words and grammar of the Greek language and its many dialects as they changed over time from Proto-Indo-European to Classical Greek. Since it takes a historical view, the book will teach you about many forms of Greek, and how those forms developed. Also, as a linguistic resource, the book’s language and subject matter are technical, often too challenging for casual learners while at the same time too wordy and unfocused to be used as a lesson text.

Given that caveat emptor, the author provides a strong survey of the language from prehistoric to koine Greek, with loads of examples, readings and word derivations/etymologies along the way. The scope is broad, examining the phonology, morphology and lexis of Mycenaean Greek, the ancient dialects, literary prose & poetry (delving into the language of individual writers like Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus & Thucydides) and the development of the Koine, or popular Greek.

After considering all those forms of Ancient Greek, Palmer spends another 100 pages discussing the evolution of Greek sounds, word formation (including inflexion) and grammar from Indo-European, including consistent reference to Indo-European root words and structure. The shape of the Proto-Greek and Indo-European reconstructions will strike current linguists as a bit dated, but the approach is on key.

The book ends with a subject index, an index of Greek words, and a further index of Greek Linear B words. The table of contents is also detailed and pleasantly organized, like the rest of the work.

The Greek Language represents one of the greatest compromises between breadth and depth I’ve found in an overview of the whole of Ancient Greek. I recommend this as a reference resource for Greek students with a love of grammar, language change, language history, or, especially, historical linguistics. Linguist-types or Greek grammar & vocabulary nuts demanding healthier, more up-to-date etymologies should look into Sihler’s hefty New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin.