Learning Ancient Greek for Beginners

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Ancient Greek is a language like no other. It records an astonishing array of great works in different genres, stretching across a thousand years of history.

Homer, one of the most influential poets ever, recited in the matchless cadences of the epic literary Greek dialect. The Apostle Paul, the Four Evangelists, and the other authors of the New Testament also left their accounts in Greek, using Koine, the beautifully clear conversational Greek spoken in the eastern Mediterranean of their day. Likewise, Sappho, Euripides, Aristophanes, Herodotus, Plato, Demosthenes, and many other ancient authors wrote in Greek, each with a distinct style that makes their individual voices live across the centuries.

After just a few hours of Greek 101: Learning an Ancient Language, you’ll understand why no translation can capture the expressive power of this incomparable tongue.

00:00 Did All the Ancients Pronounce Greek the Same Way?
02:36 The Restored Classical Pronunciation
04:16 Most Common and Useful Greek Dialects
06:41 Understanding the Greek Alphabet
17:23 Reciting the Greek Alphabet
19:37 Greek Words Without Diphthongs
22:58 What Are Diacriticals?
25:07 Mastering Greek Diphthongs
27:29 Learning Greek: Practice Makes Perfect

In some ways simpler than English, in other ways more complex, Greek is a delight to study. As you work through these 36 engaging half-hour lessons, mastering the graceful alphabet, the precision of the nouns and verbs, the endlessly flexible syntax, you’ll become comfortable with Ancient Greek.

With no prior experience required, Greek 101 gives beginners direct access to a remarkable heritage. Covering all of the topics in a typical year of introductory ancient Greek at the college level, these user-friendly lessons focus on teaching you to read unadapted passages from Homer’s Iliad and the New Testament—two of the most important works in the Greek language, which have for centuries inspired people from all walks of life to learn ancient Greek.

Your guide is Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller of Union College in Schenectady, New York, an award-winning educator who gives classical language teaching a whole new image. Gone is the drudgery of glacially slow progress that is associated with traditional instruction in ancient languages. Instead, Professor Mueller quickly introduces you to authentic Greek, and he presents his subject with charm, wit, and consummate skill in making Greek logical and understandable.

In this free lecture: Learn the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet using the restored classical pronunciation, recognizing that there was some variation in pronunciation in an ancient world. Practice pairings of vowels called dipthongs, and sound out a selection of words that you will soon be reading in sentences.

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Everyone is complaining about his Greek pronunciation. I just feel a bit let down that, with a name like Hans-Friedrich Mueller, and straight-up Beethoven hair, he doesn't have a thick German accent.

m.v.
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Anyone who promotes, speaks and encourages the Greek Language, ancient or modern, is a friend of mine ... καλά κάνει ο καθηγητής!!

mannypip
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This is the most encouraging video I've ever seen. This is how all subjects should be taught.
This guy feels like the type to sincerely say "good job" when you make a mistake, because that's how you learn.

moonflower
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I must say, I like his teaching style; it's firm, authoritative and confident. I damn well feel that I'm bound to learn something if I stick around!

GaryWirsching
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I absolutely adore his teaching, it makes me actually want to learn.

chak
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Great lesson! I absolutely adore the works of Homer - one of the best writers of all time. Your lesson motivates me to study Ancient Greek (here and there when I can find a free moment).... Thank you very much.

matthewmclaughlin
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What an excellent orator! Thoroughly engaging and confident in his approach.
For those who truly want to learn, the accent is nether here nor there. For decades I have read and studied interlinear versions of the New Testament along with Vines Expository to elicit a fuller, richer understanding. The clarity and beauty of phrase does not need an accompanying accent to resonate with me.
Bravo.

michaelggriffiths
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At 30:21, in the verb προϊάπτω, diairesis (or διαλυτικά, as we call in in Greek) is been used. This is used for the spelling, in order to distinguish between "oi" and "i", which in turn proves that without diairesis, the diphthong "οι" is spelled as ι and not as ο-ι. Unless Erasmus knew better than the Greeks, how to speak their language.

aagrafio
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This is by far the best lesson on languages I've ever experienced. Excellent job!

trentp
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I'm Greek and I didn't even realize he was speaking Greek when he supposedly spoke in ancient Greek, all I heard were a bunch of American sounding syllables

Antpaok
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If you want to read Greek the letter " Pi " should be pronounced like " Pee " not like " Pie ", because the letter " I " in Hellenic is pronounced as one short sound ' i ' or ' ee '. The same for Ι, Φ, Χ and Ψ, the proper is Eeota, Fee, Hee, Psee and not Aïota, Faï, Haï, Psy, this is ridiculous.

Theo-lfyp
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Thank you!Learned ancient Greek 5 years ago and it is still so intriguing!(compared to Latin and ancient Hebrew,the ancient Greek is always my favorite😍😍

echolee
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From India.... thanks you very much I lockdown 2020 I have been learning Greek . Russian. Japanese Urdu french Portuguese Spanish and sanskrit

vijaykumar-lbod
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Absolutely captivating teaching style.
It's a Yes from me!

galegleen
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I am a teacher so I give you respect for your teachings. I have been reading ancient Greek for more than 33 years now and with all due respect, i disagree with the pronunciation given in this video. That's my right. The iota should sound like eeotah in english transliteration, not the way it is presented. The 2nd letter should sound like Veetah in english transliteration not Beta. In the Hebrew language, the second letter is bet or vet depending if the little dot is inside the letter and other example. If people wants to learn ancient Greek i would recommend to look for a Greek teacher specialized in ancient Greek. When i was young, my friends in Greek schools had to learn Archaia Ellinika. it was mandatory.

charleseliyahpelosof
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Been working on Greek now for about a year, and just found this guy. Not sure if I would have liked it a year ago but am really enjoying his lessons now. Love his flamboyant and dramatic presentation. It’s actually fun!

Dr.Reason
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I"m so surprised that I already know all the letters in shape and in pronunciation, I am a physics teacher. Awesom!

saidlaaroua
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To my recollection, one morning all Greek people (wherever they lived), woke up and suddenly decided to start speaking their language differently! But this doesn't make sense!
The truth is not so complicated as shown in all these comments: Ancient and Modern Greek is one and only language. It was inherited from generation to generation from ancient eras till today. May be modern greek came to be a simplified form of the ancient one, but it is the same language. If someone is interested to have an idea about nearly ancient accent and pronounciation, it could be a good idea to hear greek as spoken by older people still alive, originated from Pontus (Black Sea), Cyprus, Creta, Kappadokia, etc. Nothing to do with what Erasmus stated!
Anyway, many thanks for video. It was a good reason for thoughts sharing.

rooker
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This is a jewel! A gold mine! The Greek alphabet with pronunciation, spoken words, diphthongs, split diphthongs, diacritical markings! I have never heard anyone else say that language is felt by all the senses (my summary). So correct! I am trilingual (English, German and Spanish) and I experience a change in personality depending on which language I speak. You deliver your lesson, slowly, patiently and with verve. I will of course subscribe to "The Great Courses Plus" to continue my study of Ancient Greek. This is a huge contribution to learning Ancient Greek.

williamstapp
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Having read some of the other comments, it's hard to believe that so many know so much more. I have never heard so much wisdom concentrated in so short a space. Perhaps that's because I need to get out more. But, on the other hand I have noted that knowledge and wisdom become much diluted when spread among the entire population.

williamstapp