r/AncientGreek

In 1873 Heinrich Schliemann found a hoard of gold under a hill in western Anatolia, hid it from the Ottoman official assigned to watch him, packed it into his wife's luggage, and crossed the Aegean. The Ottoman Empire sued him in a Greek court — the first international lawsuit it ever brought to recover smuggled antiquities. He lost. Eight years later he donated the loot to Berlin. From there it travelled — through Hitler's flak tower, a Soviet transport plane to Moscow, and a Russian law passed in 1998 — to a basement at the Pushkin Museum, where it sits today.

I found this story fascinating. I wonder if Turkey is doing something to get the treasures back from Russia now.

In some textbooks like Athenaze there are (very small) exercises to translate English (or Italian?) into AG.

I'm curious if additional larger translation exercises (on the order of a book chapter or short story) are commonly assigned in upper level Classics program courses, or if that would be considered unusual.

Similarly, when I've studied modern languages I've often had to write reflections or even full papers in the target language. Is this something that's done much for Ancient Greek? Are there any examples anyone would be willing to share?

I've been wandering myself how Ancient Greek didn't become a language as studied as Latin or Sanskrit and suddenly I realized that it all resumes in Cultural relevance. Both Latin and Sanskrit were culturally more relevant because of stronger institutions (Churches and Academy enthusiasts) that pushed both languages in positions of Lingua Franca and Liturgy around great part of the world during great time periods. Even though Ancient Greek has its prestige, it didn't reached Latin's and Sanskrit's because of these things: The Fall of Constantinople (The Fall of Eastern Rome) and The Orthodox Church authority passing from the Greeks to the Slavs (From Koiné/Attic to Old Church Slavonic).

After Greece gained its independence from The Ottoman Empire, it wasn't as powerful as Russia and Bulgaria and the cultural relevance of modern Hellas wasn't as strong as the Slavic countries that also share the Orthodox Christianism, so Ancient Greek as a soft power tool was irrelevant.

Now that we are in the hyperconnectivity era, these languages have found a greater niche and many people willing to study them. Because of this, institutions such as The Vatican have implemented neologisms for Latin that people use. Also, the Latin community has grown significantly because these languages, individually, are rabbit holes and people are curious about them; hence, many more people become more interested and the language community grows, but... What about Ancient Greek? Why hasn't Ancient Greek the same impact as Latin and Sanskrit? This is the point that I wanted to arrive.

Ancient Greek doesn't have a bigger community because of great disorganization among the community members and a lack of a central figure. Like I pointed out before: both Latin and Sanskrit have had strong institutions that preserve both languages and promote their use; meanwhile, Ancient Greek hasn't. Even in the modern era, these 2 languages have big promoters, say influencers (Like ScorpioMartianus), but Ancient Greek hasn't.

I know many people will say that ScorpioMartianus promotes both, but everyone that has stumbled with his channel knows him more as "The Latin" youtuber, rather than "The Ancient Greek" youtuber.

In conclusion: Ancient Greek is and hasn't been cultural relevant because of lack of stronger institutions or relevant figures that promote the usage of the language. If people want Ancient Greek to become more used in many other contexts besides just religion, poems, philosophy and history (like me), the Ancient Greek community needs to be more organized, look for a central figure with great charisma that promotes Ancient Greek's usage. I know people will create their own neologisms and teach them to their public or friends, but when these neologisms enter in contact and result into different word combos and interpretations, then it would become "a mess".

What do you think? Do you agree with me? What critics would you give me?

So I took some Homeric Greek in school and I’m afraid of losing everything I’ve learned if I don’t practice. I was wondering if people know of any resources to keep up my Greek that aren’t studying a textbook on my own.

Thanks in advance.

Is there a reason why athematic verbs do not exhibit contraction in their primary mediopassive endings as thematic verbs do?

E.g. ´ιεσαι vs πειθηι or ´ιστασο vs ελαμβανου

Also why do the middle aorist endings of verbs like διδωμι and τιθημι contract but the endings of ´ιημι only contract in the middle imperative ´ου?

Hey I wanted to post a translation I did of some fragments of the Gospel of Thomas from the Oxyrhynchus papyri I happened to find that were published online. What do y'all think?

>1. These are the hidden words which the living Jesus spoke and which Judas, who is Thomas, wrote down.

>2. And he said, "Whoever may discover the interpretation of these words shall not taste death."

>3. Jesus said, "Let the one seeking not cease to seek until he finds; he will be amazed and, having been amazed, he shall reign and, having reigned, he will rest." 

>4. Jesus said, "If those leading you shall say to you, 'Behold, the Kingdom is in the sky', the birds of heaven will precede you. But if they say, 'It is under the earth!' The fish of the sea will precede into it before you, and the Kingdom of God is within you, and outside. Whoever shall know himself, he will discover this, and when you know yourselves, you will see that you are sons of the living Father. But, unless you know yourselves, you are in poverty and you are the poverty."

>5. Jesus said, "An old man will not hesitate to ask a seven day old child about the place of life, and you will live because many who are first will be last, and the last, first, and they will have eternal life."

>6. Jesus said, "Know that which is before your sight, and what has been hidden from you will be revealed to you. For there is nothing secret which will not become manifest, nor having been buried that will not be raised up."

>7. His disciples questioned him and they said, "How will we fast, and how will we pray, and how will we give alms, and what diet will we observe?" Jesus said, "Do not lie, and what anyone hates, do not do. For all things will be full of truth before heaven. For nothing has been concealed which will not be made manifest. Blessed is the one who does not do these things. For everything in illumination will be from the Father who is in heaven."

>8. Jesus said, "Hypocrite, you see the speck in the eye of your brother, but you notice not the beam in your own eye. Cast out the beam from your eye and then you will see clearly to cast out the speck in the eye of your brother."

>9. Jesus said, "Unless you shall fast to the world, you shall never find the Kingdom of God. And unless you 'Sabbatize' the Sabbath, you will not see the Father."

>10. Jesus said, "I stood in the midst of the world and was seen by them in the flesh and I found everyone drunk, and I found no one in them thirsting, and my soul toils over the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and they see not, because they return into the world as empty ones. And they seek to come again from the world as empty ones. Nevertheless, now they are drunk. When they shall put away their wine, then they will repent." 

>11. Jesus said, "If flesh came because of the spirit, it is a marvel. But if the spirit is because of the body, it is a marvel of marvels. But I marvel about this, that so much wealth dwells in this poverty." 

>12. Jesus said, "Where there shall be 3 divine beings, they are gods. And where there is only one, I am with him. Raise the stone, there you will find me. Split the wood, I am also there."

>13. Jesus said, "A prophet is not accepted in his own country, nor does a physician heal for those who know him."

>14. Jesus said, "A city being constructed on the summit of a high mountain, and being fortified, is neither able to fall nor be hidden."

>15. Jesus said, "What you hear in your ear, preach from the rooftops." 

>16. Jesus said, "Do not worry from the morning until evening, from evening until morning; neither in your food, what you shall eat; neither in your clothes, what you shall wear. You are much better than the lilies which grow but do not spin. Not having clothes, what do you lack? Who can add upon your stature? The same will give your clothes to you."

>17. Jesus said, "Often you desired to hear the word which I speak to you, and have not the one uttering. And the days will come when you will seek me and you will not find me."

>18. Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scribes received the keys of knowledge and they hid them. They neither enter nor have permitted those entering to enter. But be wise as snakes and innocent as doves."

Please note that I am an amateur, not a scholar. I taught myself Koine and I have no formal training.

Fellow higher-ed teachers and students of Ancient Greek,

About how much Greek do you get through in your typical college Greek courses? It would be interesting to get a range of responses. For example, in a recent second-year college Herodotus course (in the US), we got through around 20 OCT pages. (Average OCT Herodotus pages are approximately 220–230 words). Significantly lower than when I was in college, but this course also involved a systematic review of grammar. A recent intro Homer class read around 600–700 lines. What about your courses?

In this passage (Il 6.527-529), Hektor acknowledges Paris's indiscretions but suggests moving on from them and concentrating on the task at hand.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· τὰ δʼ ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθʼ, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς

δώῃ ἐπουρανίοισι θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσι

κρητῆρα στήσασθαι ἐλεύθερον ἐν μεγάροισιν

ἐκ Τροίης ἐλάσαντας ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.

I'm curious about the accusative participle phrase in the final line. How is it connected syntactically to the rest of the sentence? Is it loosely circumstantial, even absolute? Or is it a second object of δώῃ?

Also, why is ἐλάσαντας active? Are we to imagine a subject, like "we the Trojans", or is it intransitive?

How do I write ‘power’ in Greek? I plan it to be on my high school leavers jacket.

Salvēte omnēs et χαίρετε

Institutum Antiquitatis has recently launched multiple online courses and intermediate/advance seminar series conducted in Latin and Greek.

Please find some of the current offerings below. More at www.institutumantiquitatis.com  

Ovidius Lusor Amantum: Rhetorical Play in Heroides I, III, and V - Led by Adriana Caballer Ricart | Tue & Thu, Jun 2–25 | 16 hrs

A rigorous philological and intertextual reading of Ovid's Heroides, exploring how the poet gives voice to mythological heroines through constant dialogue with the epic and tragic traditions. Features a three-stage reading method moving from adapted text to original Ovidian verse. Advanced level.

Menander's One-Verse Maxims and the Athenian Worldview - Led by Joanna Thornhill | Tuesdays, Jun 30 – Sep 1 | 15 hrs

Explore the wit and wisdom of Menander's pithy sententiae while mastering the iambic trimeter — the heartbeat of Greek drama. Ideal for late-beginners ready for authentic texts.

Vita Homeri — The Pseudo-Herodotean Life of Homer - Led by Miguel Ángel Acosta Albarracín | Mon & Wed, Jun 22 – Sep 9 | 48 hrs

The most immersive offering in our catalog: a 12-week journey through archaic prose and embedded hexameter, conducted entirely in Ancient Greek, tracing Homer's legendary life from Smyrna to Samos.

Introduction to Ancient Greek Prosody - Led by Rogelio Toledo | Saturdays, Jun 13 – Jul 11 | 7.5 hrs

A focused 5-session introduction to iambic verse, hexameter, and anapest through texts ranging from Homer and Aeschylus to early Christian poets. Includes oral recitation and scansion practice.

Roman Satire: Wit, Indignation, and the Mirror of Rome - Led by Alexander Olave | Thursdays, Jun 4 – Aug 20 | 18 hrs

A comprehensive survey of Rome's most distinctively homegrown literary genre — from Lucilius's biting libertas through Horace's ethical wit, Persius's Stoic intensity, and Juvenal's magnificent indignatio. 

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institutum Antiquitatis is a non-profit organization dedicated to the living study of classical languages. We are a community of teachers and students united by a love of Greek and Latin, committed to engaging with these languages actively and critically — not as relics behind glass, but as instruments of human thought and communication.

Places are limited. We look forward to welcoming you into the seminar room.

Warm regards,

www.institutumantiquitatis.com   

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And if learning Koine Greek, how would you go about learning it?