This subject is designed for beginners and those who have not completed HSC Ancient Greek. The course requires no previous knowledge of a foreign language and/or of English Grammar. The grammatical concepts and categories of the Classical Greek language, encountered during the course, are explained and related to those of the English language so that students can develop a clear frame of reference. The course introduces the student to Classical Greek phonetics, morphology, composition and vocabulary through the translation from and into Greek of simple, often made-up, sentences, and the reading and translation of abridged passages adapted from Greek literature in order to meet the linguistic experience and competence of students. The course is preceded by an introduction regarding the linguistic evolution of Greek from early documentary evidence in the Mycenaean tablets until the development of the Ancient Greek Literary Tradition with the writing of the Homeric poems in the VIII century B.C.
GRE102 builds on the basic knowledge acquired in GRE101. It advances and completes the understanding of Greek morphology and introduces fundamental notions of Greek syntax. The grammatical knowledge of the language is reinforced through the translation of sentences and passages from and into Greek, while reading skills are further developed through the reading of excerpts of adapted prose and verse texts of classical authors such as Homer, Herodotus, Xenophon & Plutarch.
GRE201 introduces students to the study of Greek syntax through the study of the texts of classical authors. It is an intermediate course and presupposes a sound knowledge of classical Greek morphology. Through the examination of excerpts from the works of classical authors the student gradually develops an understanding of the semantics and pragmatics of classical Greek and an appreciation of the strong connection between syntax and semantics (i.e. structure and meaning). Students are also introduced to the study of Greek prosody and to the metric reading of Greek poetry.
During the course, students engage in the reading and translation of (often adapted) excerpts from the works of Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle and Demosthenes.
The unit is based on the close reading, examination and translation of extended excerpts from selected classical texts of Greek prose and/or poetry. Students examine the problems involved in the phenomenon of the ‘translation’ of texts from one cultural-linguistic context to another, and are introduced to the phenomenon of ‘text variety’, namely the relation of the language to its social environments, and its variations in response to changes in context and use. During the course students are also introduced to the ‘history of reception’ which is intimately connected with the problem of translation, interpretation and philological examination of tests.
GRE301 introduces students to the study of Koiné Greek, the language of the Septuagint and in particular of the New Testament. The course examines comparatively the differences between the morphology and syntax of Classical Greek and those of Koiné Greek, and how these changes affected the domain of semantics. The course explores also the historical and cultural causes which prompted the evolution of Classical Greek. The course presupposes the knowledge of Classical Greek at an advanced level. During the course students engage in the reading of texts from both the Septuagint and the New Testament. Texts from the Septuagint and the New Testament are read and compared with contemporary Greek prose texts written between the IV B.C. and the I century AD such as Aristotle, Demosthenes, Diodorus Siculus, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Flavius Josephus.
Designed for students who have an interest in Biblical Studies and who have a good knowledge of classical Latin and Koiné Greek, the subject focuses on the comparative study of the Greek and Latin versions of the Scriptures the (Septuaginta; Novum Testamentum Graece; Vulgata) and their underlying culture. Through the examination of passages from the Greek and Latin Scriptures students are able to develop an appreciation of how the translation from Greek into Latin of the Old and New Testaments affected meaning and how the translators were simultaneously engaging in the interpretation of those texts.