Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners

For many years, Homeric Greek has been a standard textbook for first-year Greek courses in college and preparatory schools. It offers students the exciting experience of learning to read a Homeric poem in the original language, while introducing them to the fundamentals of ancient Greek. This fourth edition addresses the needs of today’s teachers and students, while retaining those elements of the original book responsible for its longevity. Written and subsequently revised by Clyde Pharr, Homeric Greek was further revised by John Wright in 1985. Paula Debnar has revised the book once again by significantly expanding the introductory material in its first forty lessons.

Notable features of this new edition include:

· Clear definitions of grammatical terms and explanations of forms and syntax

· Easy-to-read charts of grammatical paradigms

· A new reference map of the Aegean region, including sites mentioned in the first book of the Iliad

· An index of the book’s section on grammar

· A larger, more attractive format for the entire text, including more legible Greek characters

Ideally suited for classroom use but also accessible to independent learners, this fourth edition of Homeric Greek ensures continued life for a book that has stood the test of time.

Clyde Pharr (1885–1972) was head of the Classics Department at Vanderbilt University.

Paula Debnar is Professor of Classics at Mount Holyoke College. She is the author of Speaking the Same Language: Speech and Audience in Thucydides’ Spartan Debates.

John Wright is Professor Emeritus of Classics at Northwestern University.