2008-09-05 Stands Alone ?

Like its first edition (1978) the second edition of 'Reading Greek' comprises two volumes. Unlike the first edition the SECOND EDITION has text and related vocabulary in the same volume. In the editor's words : "the TEXT can now act as a stand- alone 'revision' reader for anyone who has a basic grasp of ancient Greek, whatever beginner's course they have used".This review relates to the volume "TEXT AND VOCABULARY,SECOND EDITION" and is directed mainly at autodidacts like myself.
If you have worked your way through John Taylor's 'Greek to GCSE,parts and 2' get yourself a copy of the TEXT. It is a handsomely produced paperback which will complement and extend JT. You might be tempted to treat the first hundred pages or so of adapted Greek as armchair reading and feel some self-satisfaction,surely not wholly misplaced , in getting through the TEXT so quickly. It is out of the armchair and back to the desk, however, for the second half of the TEXT. Here there is lightly adapted Attic ( Aristophanes, Demosthenes) ,unadapted Attic ( Plato, Protagoras 320D-323A),unadapted Ionian ( Herodotus) and Homer( from Odyssey 6).
If your route to Greek is via John Taylor's work, resist the temptation to start on the TEXT until you have completed JT parts 1 and 2. The reason is simply that grammatical points are not covered in the same order in 'JT' and 'Reading Greek'. For example,alpha and omega contract verbs appear very early in the TEXT ,but fairly late on in JT. Further, as I recall, only fainomai of the four common "verbs with dependent participle" is explained in JT Part 2, the others not being treated in JT until page 60 of his 'Greek beyond GCSE'(2008).By contrast ,all four of these verbs are used at a very early stage in the TEXT.
If like me ,you have learned the basic grammar of Attic only , the question arises of how to approach the language used in Homer. Do we buy a copy of 'Reading Greek: Grammar and Exercises' just for an introduction to Homer's language. An alternative worth considering is Peter V.Jones' translation and commentary "Odyssey 1 & 2" (Aris and Phillips 1991,ISBN 085668 470 8). PVJ provides not only a five page summary guide 'Basic Homeric Grammar" but also help with grammar and vocabulary page by page of the Greek text.
Finally, although the TEXT is an outstanding buy on its own, there is the potential bonus of using it alongside the JACT's forthcoming audio CD. The TEXT passages are also linked to the English language reference text "World of Athens"(2nd edition).