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Introduction to Attic Greek
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Manufacturer: University of California Press
Author: Donald J. Mastronarde
Publisher: University of California Press
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $30.00
You Save: $ 5.95 ( 17% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: University of California Press
Author: Donald J. Mastronarde
Publisher: University of California Press
Average Customer Rating:
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Introduction to Attic Greek Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 480
EAN: 9780520078444
ISBN: 0520078446
Label: University of California Press
Manufacturer: University of California Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 435
Publication Date: 1993-03-19
Publisher: University of California Press
Studio: University of California Press
Dewey Decimal Number: 480
EAN: 9780520078444
ISBN: 0520078446
Label: University of California Press
Manufacturer: University of California Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 435
Publication Date: 1993-03-19
Publisher: University of California Press
Studio: University of California Press
Editorial Review of Introduction to Attic Greek
This thorough presentation of Attic Greek assumes that college students learning the language deserve, from the beginning, full exposure to all the grammar and morphology that they will encounter in actual texts. Each of the forty-two chapters is a self-contained instructional unit, with challenging exercises carefully tailored to reflect the vocabulary and grammar learned to date. The units gradually build up the student's knowledge of declensions, tenses, and constructions by alternating emphasis on morphology and syntax. Readings become progressively more complex and, in the second half of the book, are largely based on actual texts and include unadapted passages from Xenophon, Lysias, Plato, Aristophanes, and Thucydides. Logically organized and remarkably lucid, Introduction to Attic Greek provides students with a strong grounding in the essentials of Greek grammar as well as a substantial body of vocabulary, enabling students to read, on completion of the course, a continuous text with commentary and dictionary.
Included are a concise introduction to the history of the Greek language, a composite list of verbs with principal parts, an appendix of all paradigms, Greek-English and English-Greek glossaries, and a detailed index. The book is also a useful reference work for more advanced students who discover that gaps in their knowledge of basic Greek grammar prevent accurate reading of texts.
Included are a concise introduction to the history of the Greek language, a composite list of verbs with principal parts, an appendix of all paradigms, Greek-English and English-Greek glossaries, and a detailed index. The book is also a useful reference work for more advanced students who discover that gaps in their knowledge of basic Greek grammar prevent accurate reading of texts.
Customer Reviews of Introduction to Attic Greek
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Essential for self study.
Review: Because I have to study on my own this answer book obviously is a must. Mastronarde's approach in his textbook is just right for me as I am studying on my own with the answer book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Worthy Grammar
Review: I found Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek most helpful in its approach and explanations of important grammatical matters. It is not the kind of book that overwhelms a student with information nor simplifies too much trying to make things ever the quicker and easier. Overall, I found this a very worthy grammar.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A quality language text -- Wish there were more like it
Review: As a linguist with a fair amount of experience in Asian languages (Mandarin and Classical/Literary Chinese), I was interested in approaching a language of a completely different nature: Attic Greek. After reading through a number of other reviews, I settled on this book and have been thrilled with my purchase ever since. Mastronarde gets the basic idea that vocabulary you can't effectively use (i.e. words for which you don't understand the associated grammar) is worthless and takes all the necessary precautions to make sure that by the time you learn a new term you know how it's used. The negative reviews I've seen for this book mainly have to do with it's grammar-centric composition (which is viewed as being slow to develop), but if you're going to learn a language with the aim to enjoy it for the rest of your life, why complain about using a text that'll be a little slower in the first two weeks but ultimately leave you with superior understanding?
This is a marvelous book, but I highly recommend purchasing Introduction to Attic Greek ANSWER BOOK as well. Morice's Stories in Attic Greek is another goodie as it allows you to see the language in action once you've covered the basics of declension and conjugation and provides some of the cultural knowledge necessary to fully engage an original text.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: outstanding, thorough, and manageable
Review: I am at Unit 27, learning Greek on my own. So far: outstanding, thorough, and manageable. As others have noted, the Answer key is invaluable.
The exercises are designed to reinforce what has been presented. While they do stretch the student, they include no surprises, nor items that have not yet been presented.
I've also been using "Morice's Easy Stories in Attic Greek," when I want a break from the straight grammar text, and just do some reading. One could start (with struggle!) Morice's stories after Mastronarde's Unit 18-20 Verb Principal Part mega-review.
Another note. Mastronarde's book seems largely derived (modernized, improved!) from Herbert Smyth's 1920's era classic Greek Grammar. Those who want another perspective on a thorny issue can find Smyth on Google Books or (sometimes) on Ebay.
Finally, a confession. The only part of Mastronarde's book which has truly baffled me is the "Athematic Aorist." Everything else, I get. I don't mean I have perfect recall of all that has been presented, but that, on reading it, I could understand it. Not so the "Athematic Aorist."
But, all in all, this is a very very good Greek grammar text.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Indispensable if you are serious about learning the language
Review: If you have just started learning Greek and you think there is an easy way to master it, you should better stop fantasising. This book will never try to convince you that there is such a way. It would not be honest.
That is why you will find lots of grammar here. You will need it. You will appreciate later how clearly the material is presented, especially the notorious irregular verbs. Even after completing this book you will use it as a reference tool. This is one of the reasons why the book is such a good buy.
Another strong point of this book are exercises. They are very well planned and designed to achieve one single aim: to develop proper language structures in your brain. Important hint however: do not buy "The Introduction..." without the answer book. The exercises are not easy and you will need a confirmation that you are doing them properly.
One tiny little drawback. The editor's work could have been done better. It is generally good practice in editing books to use different sorts of type, like bold-faced one. Another idea, which is also not entirely bad (and one could expect that it should be understood by editors worldwide), is to organise the text into clear paragraphs instead of gathering it into big lumps which are not only difficult to read but also will destroy any attempt to find an information quickly. I hope this will be corrected in future editions.
Review Summary: Essential for self study.
Review: Because I have to study on my own this answer book obviously is a must. Mastronarde's approach in his textbook is just right for me as I am studying on my own with the answer book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Worthy Grammar
Review: I found Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek most helpful in its approach and explanations of important grammatical matters. It is not the kind of book that overwhelms a student with information nor simplifies too much trying to make things ever the quicker and easier. Overall, I found this a very worthy grammar.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A quality language text -- Wish there were more like it
Review: As a linguist with a fair amount of experience in Asian languages (Mandarin and Classical/Literary Chinese), I was interested in approaching a language of a completely different nature: Attic Greek. After reading through a number of other reviews, I settled on this book and have been thrilled with my purchase ever since. Mastronarde gets the basic idea that vocabulary you can't effectively use (i.e. words for which you don't understand the associated grammar) is worthless and takes all the necessary precautions to make sure that by the time you learn a new term you know how it's used. The negative reviews I've seen for this book mainly have to do with it's grammar-centric composition (which is viewed as being slow to develop), but if you're going to learn a language with the aim to enjoy it for the rest of your life, why complain about using a text that'll be a little slower in the first two weeks but ultimately leave you with superior understanding?
This is a marvelous book, but I highly recommend purchasing Introduction to Attic Greek ANSWER BOOK as well. Morice's Stories in Attic Greek is another goodie as it allows you to see the language in action once you've covered the basics of declension and conjugation and provides some of the cultural knowledge necessary to fully engage an original text.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: outstanding, thorough, and manageable
Review: I am at Unit 27, learning Greek on my own. So far: outstanding, thorough, and manageable. As others have noted, the Answer key is invaluable.
The exercises are designed to reinforce what has been presented. While they do stretch the student, they include no surprises, nor items that have not yet been presented.
I've also been using "Morice's Easy Stories in Attic Greek," when I want a break from the straight grammar text, and just do some reading. One could start (with struggle!) Morice's stories after Mastronarde's Unit 18-20 Verb Principal Part mega-review.
Another note. Mastronarde's book seems largely derived (modernized, improved!) from Herbert Smyth's 1920's era classic Greek Grammar. Those who want another perspective on a thorny issue can find Smyth on Google Books or (sometimes) on Ebay.
Finally, a confession. The only part of Mastronarde's book which has truly baffled me is the "Athematic Aorist." Everything else, I get. I don't mean I have perfect recall of all that has been presented, but that, on reading it, I could understand it. Not so the "Athematic Aorist."
But, all in all, this is a very very good Greek grammar text.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Indispensable if you are serious about learning the language
Review: If you have just started learning Greek and you think there is an easy way to master it, you should better stop fantasising. This book will never try to convince you that there is such a way. It would not be honest.
That is why you will find lots of grammar here. You will need it. You will appreciate later how clearly the material is presented, especially the notorious irregular verbs. Even after completing this book you will use it as a reference tool. This is one of the reasons why the book is such a good buy.
Another strong point of this book are exercises. They are very well planned and designed to achieve one single aim: to develop proper language structures in your brain. Important hint however: do not buy "The Introduction..." without the answer book. The exercises are not easy and you will need a confirmation that you are doing them properly.
One tiny little drawback. The editor's work could have been done better. It is generally good practice in editing books to use different sorts of type, like bold-faced one. Another idea, which is also not entirely bad (and one could expect that it should be understood by editors worldwide), is to organise the text into clear paragraphs instead of gathering it into big lumps which are not only difficult to read but also will destroy any attempt to find an information quickly. I hope this will be corrected in future editions.