Is anyone using Athenaze Greek right now?

[Nicole M]

I picked up a used copy of the first edition text, and now realize that a second edition is out. I wonder if the first edition text will be compatible with the second edition workbook (which I don't yet have). I'm guessing not, but hope springs eternal....

 

Also, could a very motivated 7th grader get through the first book in a year, you think? We are currently using Elementary Greek, which I just love, but my son, not so much. He'd much prefer Ancient Greek, with all that Homeric blood and gore, to memorizing Bible verses. I had hoped to use EG through the middle school years, then switch to Athenaze in high school. Now I am reconsidering.

 

Thoughts?

[Nicole M]

No one?

 

Time to PM Nan in Mass, I guess!

[Jenn in CA]

My oldest went through most of Athenaze in 7th grade, with no previous Gk, only Latin; however he was a little bewildered by the end. You could definitely use the 2ed workbook with it. And you can still get the 1st ed. answer key from the publisher.

 

Almost all grammar is covered in bk 1, so there's not a huge hurry to get to book 2. Bk 2 is mostly reading gk authors.

 

There's not much Homer in Athenaze, but there's A Reading Course in Homeric Gk that looks excellent. I think I'm going to have my boys use this next fall.

 

http://www.pullins.com/Books/01753ReadingCourseinHomericGreek.htm

 

By way of background my boys have taken the meandering route thru Gk... Athenaze 1, then Mounce, mostly muddled and not learned well but they've definitely gotten "the gist." I think the profit is in the journey.

[latinteach]

I think Athenaze is mainly Attic Greek, not Homeric. It's also a first year textbook.

 

One theme of the Iliad and Odyssey is war, but these epics are really much more than that and really worth reading (in Greek or translation.)

[Nicole M]

My oldest went through most of Athenaze in 7th grade, with no previous Gk, only Latin; however he was a little bewildered by the end. You could definitely use the 2ed workbook with it. And you can still get the 1st ed. answer key from the publisher.

 

Almost all grammar is covered in bk 1, so there's not a huge hurry to get to book 2. Bk 2 is mostly reading gk authors.

 

There's not much Homer in Athenaze, but there's A Reading Course in Homeric Gk that looks excellent. I think I'm going to have my boys use this next fall.

 

http://www.pullins.com/Books/01753ReadingCourseinHomericGreek.htm

 

By way of background my boys have taken the meandering route thru Gk... Athenaze 1, then Mounce, mostly muddled and not learned well but they've definitely gotten "the gist." I think the profit is in the journey.

 

When I wrote that about Homeric blood and gore, in the back of my mind I knew that Athenaze was Attic, but was so tired I did not clarify. We've been listening to Fagles' translation of the Iliad, and it's much more exciting than Bible verses. I mentioned to my son that there was plenty of excitement in the actual Bible, and he wondered then why we couldn't memorize that stuff, instead of all this love business. So really, I'm looking for content, actual Greek (as opposed to the grammar), that is not Biblical. Though it kills me because I love EG.

 

Glad to hear it about the editions working with each other. I also found some audio files online to accompany the first several sections. But since the reader specifies "2nd edition" before he clears his throat and reads, I was a little concerned.

 

We are fortunate in that we have access to Greek students and professors at the university where I work, so if we run into trouble by the end, and I can see that happening, we'll call for help. I just try to limit my stalking of those gentlemen, so I thought I'd ask here first.

 

Oh, and I saw that Homeric Greek reader, too. I'd love to hear how that goes for you.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Nicole M

[Nicole M]

One theme of the Iliad and Odyssey is war, but these epics are really much more than that and really worth reading (in Greek or translation.)

 

Yes! I totally agree. But it's the excitement of war that attracts my 12 year old. When we were listening to the end of Iliad, and the only audio edition is abridged, my oldest, who'd read the full meal deal, gasped and said, "What! They cut out a ton of material. That was one sentence for a whole book! There is so much there, so beautiful...." I was surprised that he used the word beautiful. But he's right.